File image of Sanjay Manjrekar
Former Indian wicket-keeper Chandrakant Pandit on Thursday came in support of his childhood friend and also a former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar who was recently removed by BCCI from their commentary panel.
Defending Manjrekar, Pandit said that he is only upfront and isn't against anybody. He also reckoned that commentators can't speak well all the time about players only to keep his/her job and hence asked BCCI to reconsider their decision on Manjrekar's removal.
"I know him since childhood. He is not a man who can bring harm to someone. He is a straightforward person, which is something I always admired about him. A person who tells you the truth on your face is never liked by anybody," Chandrakant Pandit told The Times of India.
"As a commentator, he has to sometimes say things which may be not be liked by all. He can’t say things that please people, just to keep his job.
"Sanjay isn’t against anybody. I don’t want to blame anybody for his removal, but I request the board to have a rethink about its decision. I am saying this because all the commentators give inputs about the game which are beneficial to not only young cricketers but also coaches like us.
"He may sound harsh at times, but the BCCI can ask him to tone down his language, but don’t throw him out of the profession.
"Many people like listening to straightforward views, If a batsman plays a bad shot in a crucial situation, then he has to say that on air. What’s wrong in that?"
Earlier this week, Manjrekar accepted BCCI's decision to leave him out of the commenatry panel for India's internnational fixtures.
"I have always considered commentary as a great privilege, but never an entitlement. It is up to my employers whether they choose to have me or not & I will always respect that," Sanjay Manjrekar wrote on Twitter."Maybe BCCI has not been happy with my performance of late. I accept that as a professional."
Manjrekar has constantly been criticised for his commentary over the last 12 months with his first instance being refering Ravindra Jadeja as a bits and pieces cricketer' during India's World Cup campaign in England last July. He also faced crticism for his on-air argument with Harsha Bhogle over the visibility of the pink ball during India's second Test against Bangladesh in Kolkata last November.
