CAB demands ban on Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull from Eden Gardens
Published - 21 Apr 2025, 04:06 PM | Updated - 21 Apr 2025, 05:10 PM
The Eden Gardens pitch controversy has taken a sensational new turn, with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) taking stern action amidst the ongoing IPL 2025. In a bold yet shocking move, the CAB has officially asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to ban Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull from commentating at Eden Gardens with immediate effect.
The CAB made this explosive demand after Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull openly criticized Eden Gardens' veteran pitch curator, Sujan Mukherjee. The controversy blew up when both commentators expressed frustration over the conditions at the iconic Eden Gardens.
Eden Garden controversy explodes as CAB demands action against Harsha Bhogle, Simon Doull
The well-known commentators suggested that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) should consider shifting their home ground from the Eden Gardens if the pitch curator is not preparing pitches as per the franchise's demands in the ongoing IPL 2025.
Several IPL team captains and coaches have already raised complaints about the Eden surface this season, blaming the curators for not providing pitches that meet their expectations. But it was Doull and Bhogle’s public outburst that didn’t go down well with the CAB officials.
Now, the CAB wants the BCCI to take strong action against the two well-known voices of cricket, accusing them of damaging the reputation of the ground and the curator. CAB believes that pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee has done his job fairly, strictly following BCCI rules.
CAB writes a strong letter to the BCCI against Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull
A CAB source was quoted as saying by RevSportz: “The state association has written a strong letter to the BCCI, urging them not to allow Harsha Bhogle and/or Simon Doull to commentate on any of the matches at Eden Gardens.
The CAB is clear that Mukherjee has done nothing wrong and is only following the BCCI rule book, which states that no franchise can have a say on the nature of the pitch. He has also followed the guidelines about how the wicket should be prepared.”
The BCCI hasn’t officially replied to the CAB’s letter yet, but Bhogle and Doull won’t be part of the commentary team for the KKR vs GT match at Eden Gardens on April 21. It’ll be interesting to see if they are called back for any of the other matches at the venue.
What did Simon Doull and Harsha Bhogle say?
Earlier, Simon Doull said that if the Eden Gardens curator continues to ignore KKR’s demand, the Ajinkya Rahane-led team should think about shifting their home ground to a new venue.
Doull was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz, “If he's (the curator) not taking heed of what the home team wants… I mean, they are paying the stadium fees, and they are paying for what's going on in the IPL, but if he's still not paying heed to what the home team wants, then just move the franchise away to somewhere else. His job is not to pass an opinion on the game. That's not what he's paid for.”
Harsha had also echoed Doull’s sentiments. The Indian commentator had said on the same show, “If they are playing at home, they should get the tracks that they think are suited for their bowlers. I saw something (about) what the KKR curator has said.”
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