Sanjay Manjrekar on Monday said 2019 was the worst year for him as an analyst and commentator. In an interview to ESPNcricinfo, he recalled the spat with Ravindra Jadeja and his on-air comments about Harsha Bhogle.
In July this year, Manjrekar had called Jadeja a “bits and pieces player” and the all-rounder had hit back saying, “Still I have played twice the number of matches you have played and I am still playing. Learn to respect people who have achieved. I have heard enough of your verbal diarrhoea”.
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After Jadeja’s fabulous innings during the World Cup semi-final where he made 77 runs of 59 balls, Manjrekar admitted that “by bits ‘n’ pieces of sheer brilliance, he’s ripped me apart”.
Talking about Jadeja in the interview with ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar said it was terrible because he made that comment (bits and pieces player) and in the very next game — the World Cup semi-final—Jadeja “played an absolute blinder of an innings”. “The kind of batting we have never seen from him.”
He also recalled the on-air incident with Bhogle and said he regretted it and apologised to the producer for it. “With that particular comment, it was me losing control. I was unprofessional. I was wrong. It is something I regret. I let my emotions get the better of me and it bothers me. So mostly being unprofessional and to an extent, indecent also,” he added.
During the day/night match between India and Bangladesh last month, Bhogle suggested that the players need to be asked about the visibility of the pink ball.
“Don’t think so. Because when you see the slip catchers the way they have taken catches, I don’t think visibility is an issue at all. The texture of the ball is the issue,” responded Manjrekar, according to News18.
Bhogle insisted that he would ask the players from both sides and also suggested a proper analysis of the pink ball test. To this, Manjrekar replied, “only you need to ask Harsha, not us, who have played a fair bit of the game.”
Several Twitter users had criticised Manjrekar’s comments and asked him to apologise to Bhogle.