Sanjay Manjrekar requests BCCI to pick him in IPL Commentary panel

The BCCI decided to get rid of Sanjay Manjrekar - one of the regular commentators in the Indian home matches for close to two decades now - for his statements that the board found reckless. The Ravindra Jajdeja controversy during the last World Cup opened the pandora’s box and then when he had an argument with Harsha Bhogle on air during the D/N Test in Kolkata, it was the last nail in the coffin. 

Manjrekar since then apologised but there has been no clarity of sorts from the BCCI whether he would be a part of the future assignments. With the board yet to release the panel list for the upcoming IPL in Dubai, Manjrekar decided to send the BCCI a letter from his side, requesting them to consider his case.

"Respected members of the Apex Council, hope you all keeping well. You are already in receipt of the email I sent to explain my position as a commentator. With the IPL dates announced, bcci.tv will pick its commentary panel soon. I will be happy to work as per the guidelines laid by you. After all, we are working on what is essentially your production. Last time maybe there was not enough clarity on this issue. Thanks very much, Regards," Manjrekar wrote, reported ToI.

A BCCI official, speaking on the issue, has added that BCCI should forget the issue now that Manjrekar has apologised and should bring him back to the panel once again.

"We should close this chapter now and forgive Manjrekar. He has already apologised for his comments on Jadeja and sorted it out with the player concerned. He has promised us that he'll stick to the 'code of conduct' for TV commentators. After all, he's a fine commentator with massive cricketing knowledge," said a Board official. 

The same publication has also reported that Sunil Gavaskar will travel to the UAE for his TV commentary duties the IPL. Now that Gavaskar is 71, it was presumed that he would be asked by the broadcaster to do "virtual commentary" from Mumbai in the light of health risks posed by Covid-19, but that has now been put to rest.