Both Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull’s comments reportedly left CAB secretary Naresh Ojha infuriated, who wrote to the BCCI nearly 10 days ago, requesting the removal of the two from the commentary panel for their home games.
Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has red-flagged cricket experts and commentators Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull after their pubic criticism of their curator. CAB has also requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) not to assign them commentary duty for Shah Rukh Khan’s IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders’ home matches.
The two first got embroiled in controversy after Simon Doull, the former New Zealand cricketer, opined that KKR should relocate their franchise if the curator was not paying any attention to the team’s request for spin-friendly tracks. Harsha Bhogle, on the other hand, asserted that KKR should get the home advantage. Their statements were made during a panel discussion on a prevalent website after KKR lost two of their first three home games.
Both Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull’s comments reportedly left CAB secretary Naresh Ojha infuriated, who wrote to the BCCI nearly 10 days ago, requesting the removal of the two from the commentary panel for their home games.
During Monday’s game between KKR and Gujarat Titans, neither Harsha Bhogle nor Simon Doull were on commentary duty. However, sources close to Harsha Bhogle said the renowned commentator was not slotted for any KKR game.
It could not be confirmed if the commentary roster was set before or after CAB registered a formal complaint with the BCCI. A CAB official told PTI, “Bhogle and Doull are no longer part of the IPL commentary team for KKR’s home matches. However, the situation might change when Eden hosts the Qualifier 2 and the Final on May 23 and 25.
Previously, both KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane and head coach Chandrakant Pandit had expressed disappointment over not getting the expected spin-friendly conditions at Eden Gardens.
Following KKR’s defeat to Lucknow Super Giants in a high-scoring game, where LSG posted 238/3 and restricted KKR to 234/7, Rahane appeared frustrated when asked about the pitch at the post-match press conference.
“There was no help for the spinners, let me make that clear,” he said, adding that further remarks from him could create a “bawal” (controversy).
Despite Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull’s comments, the CAB continues to stand firmly behind its curator, Sujan Mukherjee, maintaining that he has followed the BCCI guidelines, which state that no franchise can influence or dictate the nature of the pitch at a venue.
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