No Other Country Would Allow It: Ramachandra Guha Slams Sourav Ganguly For Sacking Sanjay Manjrekar

Former Committee of Administrators (CoA) member Ramchandra Guha has come down hard on BCCI and its current president Sourav Ganguly for the treatment meted out to Sanjay Manjrekar.

In March this year, the BCCI had removed the former India batsman from its commentary panel just before the home ODI series against South Africa. The series was eventually postponed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Sanjay Manjrekar later tried to persuade BCCI to re-hire him for IPL 2020 but the board declined his request.

Ramachandra Guha criticises Sourav Ganguly:

Sanjay Manjrekar’s sacking by the BCCI did not really invite criticism for the cricket board. More often than not, Manjrekar lands in hot water for his controversial comments and a big section of the cricket fraternity felt that Manjrekar deserved the sacking.

Known for his bold comments, Manjrekar had faced severe criticism for calling India allrounder Ravindra Jajejda ‘bits and pieces’ cricketer during last year’s World Cup. Towards the end of the year, he also had an on-air spat with fellow commentator Harsha Bhogle.

However, Ramachandra Guha believes that gagging a commentator was an incorrect decision by Sourav Ganguly. He also stated that Manjrekar finding himself in a spot where he had to ‘beg’ for the job was ‘pathetic’.

“Conflict of interest is bad. What Ganguly is doing now is incorrect and no other country would allow it. Gags on commentators are bad,” Ramachandra Guha told mid-day.

“That Sanjay Manjrekar has to beg to be readmitted [in the commentary team] is pathetic. Why should the Board have [power over] commentary? It’s absurd. It never happens anywhere in the world. Can you imagine the English Premier League doing this?” he added.

Meanwhile, Manjrekar is all set to return to the commentary box for the upcoming series between India and Australia. Sony Sports have hired him as a part of the its commentary panel.

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