Only a few days into season 9 of the Indian Premier League, there are new franchises, new players, but one of the biggest talking points is an old voice which is missing from the commentary box. Harsha Bhogle was unceremoniously axed by the broadcaster despite being on the IPL roster, believed to be on the insistence of the BCCI.
Last Monday, 54-year-old Harsha Bhogle came up with his side of the story on his Facebook page.
“I still don’t know why I am not doing the IPL. I haven’t been told. I can accept the fact that people don’t like me. But I genuinely hope it isn’t because cricketers have complained about what I have to say,” Bhogle was clearly frustrated with the incident.
Last week, as soon as the news of Bhogle’s sacking surfaced, social media was flooded with some epic tweets in support of the renowned commentator. From cricket lovers to Bollywood celebrities all claiming how much they will miss hearing his voice on air, and wanting to know the exact reason behind his sacking.
But the real interesting part is, Harsha isn’t the first commentator to be scrapped by BCCI. Here are some examples, from the recent past, which indicates a dangerous trend rising its head in Indian cricket, where the Board looks to be deciding what a commentator must and must not say on a Live telecast.
Here are the four cricketers who suffered the same fate:
- Arun Lal
Back in 2012, Arun Lal was axed from the Indian commentary panel for allegedly involved in the commentary of the Bangladesh Premier League, a direct competition for the IPL.