Knight Riders rocked by fresh controversy

Ex-Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja alleged that a member of the KKR support staff spoke to player in discriminatory tones. Though KKR coach John Buchanan denied the whole incident, a source said it happened during KKR’s match against the Rajasthan Royals in Cape Town. While the source would not confirm which personnel were involved, reports have suggested that coaches Matthew Mott and Andy Bichel lost the plot when addressing Ajit Agarkar. Subhash Rajta reports.

The Kolkata Knight Riders must have become the most ardent believers in Murphy’s Laws. For them, everything that can go wrong is going wrong.

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As if the on-field troubles aren’t enough, controversies continue to follow the team’s every step. Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja, who is currently a television expert, alleged that a member of the KKR support staff spoke to player in discriminatory tones, saying: “You Indian, listen to me and do what you are told.”

KKR coach John Buchanan, as expected, rubbished the alleged incident. “It’s too inane a comment for me to comment upon,” he said, refusing to go any further into it.

A KKR player who has been prohibited from talking to the media by the management, said, “How can someone take Andy Bichel’s name? People should cross check before making such allegations. It is total lie. It is best that this issue is not talked about at all as there is no truth in it.”

Just what is the truth? A source present when the alleged incident occurred confirmed that an Indian player was actually spoken to in this manner. The source said the incident happened during KKR’s match against the Rajasthan Royals in Cape Town. While the source would not confirm which personnel were involved, reports have suggested that coaches Matthew Mott and Andy Bichel lost the plot when addressing Ajit Agarkar.