Preity Zinta: Just because I am a woman, you presume me to be a bimbo & know nothing about Cricket
Kings XI co-owner Preity Zinta has lashed out at the Mumbai Mirror for publishing allegedly “incorrect and exaggerated” reports of a spat with coach Sanjay Bangar. She also blasted the publication for being chauvinist and sexist questioning if they would have done the same if it was a male.
Several news-houses published reports of an alleged spat between KXIP owner Preity Zinta and coach Sanjay Bangar after the team's one-run loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday. Preity, never known for backing down, blasted the original publisher of the story, Mumbai Mirror, after they claimed that she had let out an expletive-riddled tirade at the team and coach after the loss.
In the original story, the Mumbai Mirror story had claimed that they had a source in the KXIP dug-out, who was present during the alleged spat.
"It was a long monologue with a four-letter being used liberally. Everybody was stunned as Preity repeatedly threatened to sack Sanjay. Nobody spoke a word. Sanjay cut a sorry figure which was sad because he was surrounded by young players and support staff he is supposed to lead. It was rather unbecoming of the team owner," Mumbai Mirror quoted the source.
In a post on her official Facebook account, Preity called the story 'incorrect and exaggerated beyond words.'
"A perfect example of How Journalists LIE BLATANTLY & should be sued for DEFAMATION," Preity said in her post.
She also blasted the author for being sexist and chauvinist, wondering if the same would have been written of a male.
"I'm amazed at the chauvinist & sexist undertone to your article. Just because I am a woman you presume me to be a bimbo & know nothing about Cricket even though I have been working in this sport and business for the past 9 years. For the record I do know more about the game than you do about journalism. My question to you is - would you have written the same thing if you were writing about another man in cricket?" Preity wrote.
She also clarified about what happened in the aftermath of the match, where she only spoke to Bangar and team mentor Virender Sehwag for 20 seconds after the game, asking why Axar Patel did not bat. She also clarified why she wasn't present at the post-match ceremony.
The other party in the story, Sanjay Bangar, has also claimed through his Facebook account that there was only the 'usual post match discussion on the match with Kings XI owners.'
"Some reports in the media have blown the issue totally out of proportion by fabricating a non existent chain of events... No reported abusive or disrespectful language was against me," the KXIP coach clarified further.
The Mumbai Mirror story claimed that Preity 'tore into Punjab Kings XI coach Bangar' after the RCB loss at Mohali in an expletive-laden tirade and had even threatened to sack Bangar. The story claimed that the team co-owner was upset with the KXIP's batting order and reprimanded the coach for sending South African all-rounder Farhaan Behardien ahead of Axar Patel in the chase, and blamed him for the loss.