‘Name the person’: Cricketers back Wriddhiman Saha over WhatsApp ‘threat’

WhatsApp messages sent by an unidentified “journalist” to Wriddhiman Saha, an Indian wicketkeeper not picked for the Test series against Sri Lanka, have triggered a controversy.

Saha, who tweeted a screenshot of the messages appearing to seek an interview, has received support from several quarters, with many urging him to reveal the journalist’s identity. “After all of my contributions to Indian cricket..this is what I face from a so called “Respected” journalist! This is where the journalism has gone,” Saha had tweeted.

“Choose whoever can help the most,” read a message. “You did not call. Never again will I interview you. I don’t take insults kindly. And I will remember this.”

Former coach Ravi Shastri tweeted, “Shocking a player being threatened by a journo. Blatant position abuse. Something that’s happening too frequently with #TeamIndia. Time for the BCCI prez to dive in. Find out who the person is in the interest of every cricketer. This is serious coming from ultimate team man WS.”

Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha, the Indian cricketers’ association representative, tweeted that “we will make sure our cricket community boycotts this so called journalist!”

Virender Sehwag tweeted: “Extremely sad. Such sense of entitlement, neither is he respected nor a journalist, just chamchagiri. With you Wriddhi.”

Harbhajan Singh tweeted, “Wridhi you just name the person so that the cricket community knows who operates like this. Else even the good ones will be put under suspicion… What kind of journalism is this.” Harbhajan tagged BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah and union minister for sports and youth affairs Anurag Thakur.

Former India pacer R P Singh tweeted, “When it is about BCCI or cricketers, we hear so many ‘sources’ from all the journalists. Can a single source tell me who this so-called journalist is who has threatened Saha?”

Saha, along with Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma, was dropped from India's test squad. He said the team management headed by head coach Rahul Dravid had told him to think about “retirement” as he won’t be considered for selection henceforth.