Cricketer turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar is known for his controversial remarks for the cricketers. From undermining his fellow commentator Harsha Bhogle to calling Ravindra Jadeja as ‘bits and pieces’ players, he made a lot of controversial remarks last year.
Recently, he was involved in an Instagram Live session with Indian off-spinner R Ashwin. During the live session, Sanjay Manjrekar opened up about all the controversies he was a part of. He mentioned that the concerned players should not pay any attention to his comments. He said:
“I work really hard at what I do… I do virtually everything there is to do as a broadcaster. But then I say certain things which make news [laughs] some players get upset, they react and that becomes the Sanjay Manjrekar story. So the broadcaster and commentator is left behind and what comes out more is this guy. And the fans who adore certain cricketers who I have not complimented or been slightly critical about, then that fan club is angry. It’s not so much about me because no one has met me,”
He added:
“I am not trying to fool anybody… I know my boundaries. That’s why I’m still around. Otherwise I would have been finished as a commentator five years ago. Because I am responsible for the way I say certain things.”
“But Indian fan following is unique. I look at it positively as well. That is why Indian cricket is a billion-dollar industry. It is because of how people follow the game. It’s not so much about the game itself, but also the people. The Kohli fan, the Dhon fan, the CSK fan, these are the people who drive the market…They love somebody so much that they don’t want someone like me finding flaws in that man. That is something that comes with the job,”
Later, impressed with the interaction, Harsha Bhogle showered praises on Sanjay Manjrekar and R Ashwin. Seems like Harsha closely followed the Instagram session between Sanjay Manjrekar and R Ashwin. On Monday, Harsha took to his twitter and praised the honesty of Sanjay Manjrekar. He also expressed that R Ashwin would make a very good commentator. He wrote:
“Really enjoyed this interaction between @ashwinravi99 and @sanjaymanjrekar. Ashwin is curious and Sanjay approaches such issues with honesty and candour. In 1991, I had predicted that Sanjay and Ravi would make very good commentators. I am now saying that about Ashwin”
Here, check out the tweet:
Really enjoyed this interaction between @ashwinravi99 and @sanjaymanjrekar. Ashwin is curious and Sanjay approaches such issues with honesty and candour. In 1991, I had predicted that Sanjay and Ravi would make very good commentators. I am now saying that about Ashwin
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 18, 2020
