The new BCCI regime seemed to have wiped the slate clean after the controversial tenure of N Srinivasan but the last-minute contract termination of Bhogle has yet again provided plenty of ammunition to the board’s critics.
While the veteran commentator himself is yet to hear from the BCCI, a report in The Hindu suggests there were three major reasons that led to this sudden development.
Bhogle is alleged to have had a heated debate with a Vidarbha Cricket Association official over not being allowed to pass through the VIP box at Nagpur to switch from the Hindi to English commentary during India’s WT20 opener against New Zealand.
An important unit of the BCCI, with a former India international as its boss, complained about the 53-year-old’s behaviour at the recently concluded ICC tournament.
The newspaper report also claims that a noted cricketer-commentator ‘declined’ to go on air with Bhogle.
Two senior Indian cricketers are said to have expressed their displeasure to Bhogle over the views expressed by him while broadcasting on the Men in Blue.
One of them even confronted the senior commentator on a flight, with the other player intervening to put an end to it. The players are believed to have conveyed this to a senior board member.
While the Indian board is unlikely to come forward to explain their side of the story, one is left wondering what impact this incident could have on the current team of IPL commentators.
