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Cricket PlayersWriddhiman Saha leaves Bengal WhatsApp group, wife says he was hurt by CAB official's 'all sorts of excuses' remark
The relations between Wriddhiman Saha and Cricket Association of Bengal have gotten worse as the veteran wicketkeeper batter refused to turn up for Bengal's Ranji Trophy knockout matches.
The relations between Wriddhiman Saha and Cricket Association of Bengal have gotten worse as the veteran wicketkeeper batter refused to turn up for Bengal's Ranji Trophy knockout matches. CAB secretary Avishek Dalmiya informed that he had reached out to Saha hoping the 37-year-old would reconsider his decision but eventually chose not to. In fact, as per a report in ESPNCricinfo, things have spiralled down to an extent that if the issues between Saha and CAB are not resolved, the cricket board might offer the player a No Objection Certificate so he can pursue his domestic career elsewhere.
In February, Saha was left out of the Indian Test team, where he revealed his respective conversations with head coach Rahul Dravid and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. Saha took a call to skip playing the Ranji Trophy, a step that did not go down well with CAB's joint-secretary Debabrata Das, who questioned the veteran Bengal cricketer's decision.
"Tell me, why should Wriddhi [Saha] not play in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal?" he was quoted in the Sangbad Pratidin on February 22. "He is not in the Indian team, why should he not play for Bengal? Then we have to assume that he feels no responsibility towards Bengal. In the past, too, there have been many occasions when he has refused to play for Bengal. When we have spoken to him, he has given all sorts of excuses and skipped games. Sometimes it's body ache, sometimes he has a pain in his leg."
Saha's wife Romi, said 'he was hurt' by these statements. Cricinfo reports that Dalmiya had tried to convince Saha that the comments were not meant to criticise him, but apparently, the talks did not materialise. When the Bengal squad for the Ranji quarterfinal against Jharkhand starting June 6 was released, Saha’s name was not included.
Another report carried out by The Indian Express has stated that Saha exited Bengal's WhatsApp group on Thursday night. This could well indicate the end of Saha's 15-year-long association with the Bengal team, a side he made his debut for back in 2007 and for which he played 122 First-Class and 102 List-A matches.
As far as the NoC goes, a CAB official told IE: "What to do? If he is that stubborn, we have to give him. But nobody should try to arm-twist the state association, as it is bigger than any individual."
