Sreesanth Speaks Out on the Infamous Slap

Has given interviews for the past few months with Ranjini Haridas on The Green Room. Former Indian fast bowler S. Sreesanth spoke out extensively about the infamous slap of Harbhajan Singh- once the biggest cricket headline in any newspaper in the Indian cricket world. Everyone knows what happened on the field; however, Sreesanth’s latest remarks talk about what he did not do on that day and the reasons behind that:

“I Stayed Silent for Kerala Cricket”

According to Sreesanth, only if he had raised his hand against Harbhajan and retaliated on the field would the consequences have been heavier than that, not just for him but also every cricketer from Kerala in the future. He was clear that Sanju V. Samson and Sachin Baby might never have managed to gain entry through the doors that opened into opportunities for them today.

Otherwise, it is such that it usually ends in the escalation of the entire proceedings leading to stereotyping at times. In fact, he remembers being “that player surfer who has been called a Madrasis,” wherein he feared an entire group could easily be offended due to a single incident.

Marked out by Talent, Controversy, and Misunderstanding

Despite such contributions, Sreesanth continues to be hated disproportionately. The majority of fans argue that Sreesanth’s aggression on the field was not at all different from the manner in which fans would see world stars such as Virat Kohli or Australian cricketers. Given that it’s Harbhajan himself who has publicly said sorry, there are supporters who are still asking why Sreesanth remains a target.

They say that he was the first real player to break through Indonesia, thus getting a position among the cadre that deserves respect as part of India’s first T20 World Cup-winning squad.

This Is Sanju’s Connection

Sreesanth also contributed significantly to the development of cricket in the future for Kerala. Sanju himself once confirmed that Sreesanth recommended him to Rajasthan Royals. Sree playfully teased Dravid and the RR management with the line that the kid had once hit him for six sixes in an over—an exaggeration everyone accepted, but one that laid the foundation of belief in the potential of Samson and Sreesanth’s unshakable faith in it.