Aakash Chopra has pointed out that the infamous journalist’s threatening messages to Wriddhiman Saha were akin to those of a kidnapper.
Wriddhiman Saha has been excluded from the Indian team for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka and has been told that he is no longer in the selectors’ future plans. Wriddhiman Saha also pulled out of Ranji Trophy 2022 as he was told that he won’t be selected for the Test squad. The last time Wriddhiman Saha got a chance in the final XI, was against New Zealand in Mumbai Test.
Aakash Chopra: The Journalist Who Sent Threatening Messages To Wriddhiman Saha Talked Like A Kidnapper
The 37-year-old keeper shared on social media a few threatening messages he received from an unnamed journalist, who did not get a response from the wicketkeeper-batter to his request for an interview.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra had the following to say on the development: “This person is some journalist. Because Saha has not said who he/she is, I am not going to speculate. The rumor market is extremely hot, a lot of people have made their conjectures. Whoever the journalist is, you are actually talking like a kidnapper.”
The former India cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra highlighted that the journalist’s messages showed a sense of arrogance.
Chopra elaborated: “‘Choose the one who is going to help you’ – what clout you have that you are giving a threat and telling to choose him/her else face the consequences. ‘I will remember this’ – it is a threat. So much entitlement and arrogance. Where do you get this from?”
Aakash Chopra added that the final message to Wriddhiman Saha was particularly threatening in nature.
He explained: “‘This wasn’t something you should have done’ – this was the final nail in the coffin. It is an open threat given to Wriddhiman Saha here. It is my wish whom I talk to, who are you?”
There has been a lot of speculation about the identity of the journalist. However, Wriddhiman Saha has refrained from disclosing the name in public.
Wriddhiman Saha has been the central topic of discussion in the Indian cricket ever since he exposed a journalist’s ‘threatening text’ on social media. While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly keen to ask Saha about who the said journalist is, the veteran wicket-keeper batsman is not keen to delve into the details.
After many former Indian cricketers urged BCCI president Sourav Ganguly to get to the root of the problem, treasurer Arun Dhumal confirmed on Monday that the board would ask Wriddhiman Saha to share the name of that journalist. Wriddhiman Saha, however, doesn’t want to go that route as it could ruin the said journalist’s career.
Aakash Chopra Advises Entire Cricket Fraternity To Boycott The Journalist
While observing that the identity of the journalist will be revealed in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) investigation, Aakash Chopra asked the cricketing fraternity to boycott the offender.
He observed: “The BCCI is going to investigate who had threatened Saha. If the BCCI is investigating, Saha will not tell publicly but he will tell the BCCI. This name will come out, not in public, but it will come out in the investigation. The entire cricket fraternity should boycott this guy who has gone ahead and threatened a cricketer.”
While acknowledging that the growth of social media has altered the equations between cricketers and journalists, Aakash Chopra concluded by stating that such an occurrence is a new low in Indian cricket journalism.
Wriddhiman Saha overall played 40 Tests as he scored 1353 runs with an average of 29.41 with 3 hundreds and 6 fifties. He also caused 104 dismissals behind the stump which included 12 stumping as well. Wriddhiman Saha made his Test debut against South Africa in Nagpur in 2010.
He also played 9 ODIs for India. In the IPL 2022 mega auction, Gujarat Titans bagged him for 1.9 Crores. Wriddhiman Saha along with Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ishant Sharma have been dropped for the 2-match series against Sri Lanka.