BCCI forms committee to probe 'threat' to Saha

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday constituted a three-member committee to investigate the matter of Indian wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha receiving 'threat' allegedly from a journalist for not agreeing to give an interview.

Saha, the 37-year-old centrally-contracted cricketer, had tweeted a screenshot of messages from a journalist last Saturday, a little after he was excluded from India's Test squad for the forthcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

"After all of my contributions to Indian cricket...this is what I face from a so-called 'Respected' journalist! This is where journalism has gone," Saha wrote on Twitter along with the screenshot.

The issue escalated after former players like Ravi Shastri, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag, among others, joined in the criticism of the said journalist.

The BCCI subsequently decided to get to the bottom of the issue and has now constituted a three-member committee to probe the matter.

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has today constituted a three-member committee to look into the matter of Wriddhiman Saha receiving threats and intimidation from a senior journalist," BCCI said in a release.

"The three-member committee comprises BCCI Vice-President Mr. Rajiv Shukla, BCCI Treasurer Mr. Arun Singh Dhumal and BCCI Apex Council Member Mr. Prabhtej Singh Bhatia. The committee will start the proceedings as early as next week," it added.

The BCCI also stated that a ''centrally contracted cricketer was allegedly threatened by a senior journalist for not responding to his messages asking for an interview".

"Taking cognizance of the matter, the BCCI got in touch with Saha and decided to constitute a three-member committee to investigate the matter," it added.

Saha, who has played 40 Tests, has already been told by Indian team management that it has decided to groom a younger wicketkeeper-batter and for that reason, the veteran was overlooked for the Test squad against Sri Lanka. K S Bharat was included in the Test squad as a backup for the Sri Lanka series along with main-wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.