The Boria Majumdar – Wriddhiman Saha controversy explained in simple words

• Boria Majumdar threatened Wridhiman Saha for not giving him an interview
• From his texts, it seems as if Boria has been an influential figure in the top echelons of Indian cricketing circles
• New age media focusing on promoting T20 cricketers need to start respecting Test Cricket champions as well, otherwise they will end up eroding the respect for Cricket among the populace

There are certain ethics that you have to follow when you are collaborating with individuals from a domain which is not your expertise. The same holds true for Journalists reporting about Cricket. But, for an individual like Boria Majumdar, even respect for cricketers like Wriddhiman Saha does not appear in the dictionary.

Wridhiman Saha insulted by Journalists

On 19th February, a disappointed Wriddhiman Saha shared a screenshot of his chat with a certain journalist. The screenshot showcases how journalists having a certain degree of influence in Indian Cricket have started to treat themselves as masters of the game. In the process, they are ready to undermine the authorities of the very same cricketers, reporting whose performances they make their bread and butter.

In the shared screenshot, the Journalist Boria Majumdar is asking Saha whether the wicketkeeper would be doing an interview with him. To persuade Saha, Majumdar tried to take advantage of what he perceives as Saha’s lack of knowledge about Democratic institutions. In a bizarre appeal, Mazumdar wrote, “ They choose one wicketkeeper. Whoever is the best. You try to choose 11 journalists which are not the best according to me. Choose whoever can help the most.”

Boria sent double meaning messages to Saha

The only explanation about “Choose whoever can help the most” coming to mind is that Boria seemed to indirectly suggest that if Saha had given him an interview, then he could get selectors to consider getting Saha in the Indian team. Saha was allegedly told by the management that a younger player would be chosen in place of 37-year-old Wridhiman.

Then Boria called Saha on Whatsapp. When Saha did not call back, the self-absorbed and self-entitled Boria seemed to threaten Saha. Lamenting Saha for not calling him back he said that he does not take insults lightly and will remember them for all his life. In his mind, Boria seems to think that Saha should prioritise Boria’s interview over anything which is dear to him.

Sharing the screenshot, Saha wrote, “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.”

Boria accepted that it was him

Though Saha did not name Boria, people in Saha’s comment section instinctively pointed out that it must be Boria. Later, Boria Majumdar also confirmed that it was he who sent those texts to Saha. However, he claimed that Saha had doctored the screenshot. Boria then threatened that he would file a defamation lawsuit against Saha.

“Wriddhiman says I had threatened him, I had not. If he felt so anguished from that day, he could have put out the tweet on the 13th, when the message was sent. It was a day of celebration for him, as he had got a bid of Rs 2 crore (in the IPL auction). He waited till the 19th, when he was dropped from the Indian team, doctored the message and put it out in a manner at 10:12 at night so as to garner public sympathy and play the perfect victim card,” said Boria.

Read more: Author and Journalist Boria Majumdar: Biography, and Books

Decoding Boria’s intent behind messages

Now, there are two angles to be derived from the spat. It may be true that Boria had an influence in Saha getting dropped from the team as there was a 6-day gap between Boria’s messages and Saha getting snubbed from the team. Boria’s role is a realistic possibility, since Saha maybe 37 years old at the time, but he was as fit as a youngster like Rishabh Pant. There was little sense in not selecting him for one more series.

On the other hand, Boria may be trying to bluff Saha and lure him for an interview. However, his reaction to not getting an interview is not a strong ground to support this assertion.

Cricket board bans Boria

BCCI decided to take strict actions on the tussle. A BCCI Committee found Boria guilty on all accounts and the Board has now banned Boria for two years. Quoting a top official, Indian Express reported “We will be informing all state units of the Indian cricket board to not allow him inside stadiums. He won’t be given media accreditation for home matches and we will also be writing to ICC to blacklist him. Players will be asked not to engage with him,”

Journalists should start respecting Test Cricketers

Ever since Dhoni decided to retire from Test Cricket, Wridhiman Saha has been the pillar of Indian wicket-keeping duties. Despite being older, Saha showed no inclination of tiring down and went on to play 40 Test matches for India. His wicket-keeping and especially athleticism behind the stump is the most celebrated aspect of post MS-Dhoni days of India’s Test fortunes.

Despite a back breaking career, if Saha is not given respect by journalists like Boria, then it is not Saha’s fault. It is the fault of this new age media and their propensity towards catering to T20 specialists. These kinds of journalists are tumours that are slowly turning into cancers. They will take away the game’s respect in front of the public.