Wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha has been discussed everywhere in Indian cricket since the evening of Saturday 19 February. Wriddhiman Saha, who was dropped from India’s Test team, has shaken Indian cricket with his statements. He has even made public a conversation he had with the Board of Control for Cricket in India i.e. BCCI President and former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly as well as the chief selector.
Sourav Ganguly’s brother Snehasish Ganguly, the secretary of Cricket Association of Bengal and Sourav Ganguly, has said that Wriddhiman Saha probably made a mistake by publicly commenting on a private conversation between him and the selectors/BCCI. BCCI President Sourav Ganguly’s elder brother Snehasish also said that Wriddhiman Saha could have played Ranji Trophy instead of being dropped from the Bengal team.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Snehashish said, “It is my personal opinion, but what the chief selector/BCCI told him (Saha) was private. He probably shouldn’t have gone public with it. Also that Ranji Trophy. Could have played. He cited personal reasons for being out and we have to respect that. The doors are always open for him whenever he wants to join the team.”
After Saha was dropped from the Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka, he had told this Indian Express that he received a BCCI President’s request for a match-saving knock of 61 not out in the first Test against New Zealand. Got a WhatsApp message in which he said that as long as I am here (handling BCCI), you will be in the team.”
He had said, “After scoring 61 against New Zealand in Kanpur, Dada (Sourav Ganguly) congratulated me on WhatsApp and said, ‘As long as I am here (handling BCCI), you will be in the team’. This kind of message from the BCCI President really boosted my confidence. I am finding it difficult to understand how things have changed so fast.”
At the same time, regarding his selection, Wriddhiman Saha said, “What Chetan Sharma said in the press conference today (Saturday) was completely different from our conversation. He had called me and asked if I am playing Ranji Trophy. It was the first week of February and I told him that there was still some time left in the Ranji Trophy. He said, ‘Okay’. To that he told me something he wanted to convey that the selection committee would try a new face with a long-term vision. So I was not playing and was in the team as the second wicketkeeper and the selection committee wanted to try and prepare a new player. They told me that I would not be in the team for the Sri Lanka series. ”
