Harsha Bhogle: I miss the Sachin-Sourav generation, where I never had to worry about what I'm saying
Renowned cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle has opened up about his eviction from the commentary box by the BCCI in a candid interview. The 55-year-old nostalgically spoke about the Sachin-Dravid-Sourav generation, where he could openly speak his mind without having to worry about offending someone.
It has been almost a year since Harsha Bhogle was ousted from the commentary box by the BCCI. In a heart-to-heart interview with the Economics Times, Harsha Bhogle spoke about what was a forgettable phase in his professional career.
When asked about his āfriendsā in Indian cricket, Bhogle said, "I don't know. Sometimes it's good not to have too many. But I do miss the generation that's gone. Sachin , Rahul , Anil , Sourav , Srinath, Laxman... It was a beautiful generation, where I never had to worry about what I'm saying. When Sachin was struggling, I once said, `Here's an emperor walking the streets like a common man'. I did not hear back from anyone that, `Sachin did not like that'.
When Sachin was struggling, I once said, `Here's an emperor walking the streets like a common man'. I did not hear back from anyone that, `Sachin did not like that'.
Harsha Bhogle
āI could be completely frank, to the extent that Sourav on air asked me my opinion on something. I declined and told Sourav that he was the one who had played at the highest level. And he said, `How many World Cups have you covered? Go ahead, I want to know what you think'."
Bhogleās sacking came after movie star Amitabh Bachchan complained about the commentators speaking a bit too much about the foreign players on Twitter. Bachchanās tweet was then retweeted by the then skipper MS Dhoni, and the rest is history.
"No one told me what the matter [the reason for his sacking] was. If someone had said `You're not good enough', that would've been fine. Some big players have been told that. Suppose I was told I violated a broadcasting ethic, even that would have been fine. But nobody could look me in the face and tell me, `This is the reason'. Eventually, I said if that's what it is, that's what it is. It's been the biggest learning experience of my career. Offers started coming right away. Everyone thinks doors are shut, which is true... (pause)...but windows are open," Bhogle said.
When asked about that incident with Amitabh Bachchan, Bhogle said that he is a big admirer of the movie star and had even asked him to give him a chance to explain himself.
"We are different people in different situations. I actually wrote to Mr. Bachchan. I sent him a DM [Direct Message], saying how for the past 40 years I have admired him.
When I was in college in Hyderabad, and if his film was releasing on Friday, a friend of mine would bunk class on Monday to get tickets for the Saturday show.I also admired him for the dignity with which he carried himself. And I said in the message to him that given a chance, I will be happy to come and explain things to him."
Bachchan did send Bhogle a delayed reply. However,
He went on to add, "What I did explain [to Bachchan] was that on the Hindi telecast, we were very India-centric, though not biasedĀ because the telecast was going only to this market. But we couldn't do that with the English telecast, as it was going to various countries. In the past, Indian listeners would get angry when foreign commentators did not speak enough about the Indian team. We cannot be like that to the others."
In the past, Indian listeners would get angry when foreign commentators did not speak enough about the Indian team. We cannot be like that to the others.
Harsha Bhogle
Bhogle also revealed the life advice he gave to Rahul Dravid regarding marriage and the important role his wife plays in keeping him grounded.
"I can feel insecure at times. My wife will not let that happen.
"I remember telling Rahul many years ago, `Rahul, do anything, don't marry a fan'. You must have someone who'll tell you when you are doing something wrong. That you were arrogant that day. You were insensitive that day. But if you marry a fan, who's going to tell you that?
āAnd I worry about some of our younger players because one of the problems with making money very early is everyone wants a piece of you. It happens a lot to our movie stars."
Bhogle has also questioned the notion that you cannot commentate on cricket if you are not a former cricketer. He insists that such beliefs stem from arrogance and insecurity.
"The image created in our cricket is if you haven't played, you can't live," Bhogle says. "It stems from insecurity and arrogance. How many trucks did Ratan Tata drive? Does it mean he can't run his company? It's a very narrow way of looking at things.
"The new generation of Indians is intolerant of reputations. They'll say `so what if you have played 50 Tests. Are you telling me a good story?'" he said before signing off.
