Harsha Bhogle and Doull were dropped from KKR’s home commentary team after criticising Eden Gardens’ pitch conditions.
Veteran commentators Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull were reportedly removed from the commentary panel for Kolkata Knight Riders’ home matches following their criticism of the Eden Gardens pitch and its curator. The two had questioned the lack of spin-friendly conditions, echoing the views of KKR captain Shreyas Iyer and coach Chandrakant Pandit, who had earlier raised concerns over the playing surface.
Interestingly, both Bhogle and Doull were absent from the broadcast team during KKR’s match against Gujarat Titans on Monday. “Bhogle and Doull are no longer part of the IPL commentary team for KKR’s home matches. However, the situation might change when Eden hosts the Qualifier 2 and the Final on May 23 and 25,” a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) official told PTI.
ALSO READ | BCCI Sacks Abhishek Nayar, T Dilip and Soham Desai After Leaks And India’s BGT Defeat in Australia | Reports
Reports claimed that CAB wrote to the BCCI, asking the board to remove the duo from commentary duties at Eden Gardens. Doull, during a cricket show, did not hold back in his criticism: “If he (the curator) is not taking heed of what the home team wants… they are paying the stadium fees, they are paying for what’s going on in the IPL. If he’s still not listening, then just move the franchise away. His job is not to pass an opinion on the game. That’s not what he’s paid for.”
Bhogle supported Doull’s stance and added, “If they are playing at home, they should get the kind of tracks that suit their bowlers. I saw something about what the KKR curator has said.” While defending curator Sujan Mukherjee, the CAB maintained that he had followed BCCI rules, which prohibit franchises from influencing pitch conditions.
The KKR team management had reportedly requested a more spin-friendly surface to assist bowlers like Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, and Moeen Ali.
ALSO READ | Aaqib Javed Unwilling To Continue, PCB Searches New Head Coach
