Published 23:14 IST, February 19th 2020
Sanjay Manjrekar answers the biggest question of them all: How does he handle his haters?
In a Question & Answers session on Twitter on Wednesday, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar revealed how he handles all the hate tweets that he receives
Sanjay Manjrekar in a Q&A session on Twitter on Wednesday answered how he deals with the hate tweets on social media. The cricketer-turned-commentator has often received flak on social media over his comments on players. When Manjrekar was asked how he deals with the hate tweets, he stated that he does not see that as hate at all. He added that it is the unbounded passion that fans have for the game and it's players. Furthermore, he also said that it is this passion that also makes Indian cricket a billion-dollar industry in which people like him make a living.
'Worst year for me as a commentator'
Recently, Manjrekar had revealed that 2019 had been the worst year for him after the 'Bits and Pieces' remark he made on all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Manjrekar while speaking to a news channel had said, "I started back in 1997-98, so it has been about 20-21 years and this year has been the worst for me as a commentator and an analyst." He added, "Why I say that it was a terrible year is because I made that comment and very next game, Jadeja in that semi-final played an absolute blinder of an innings. The kind of batting that we have never seen."
The commentator also said that he has never met Jadeja after that comment. When queried if he regrets making that comment, Manjrekar responded, "It is a commonly used cricketing term. The thing is I gave an interview to a random news channel and that line was picked up and the player got upset, something that a lot of people use. Kumar Sangakara, in the very next game, when he wanted to describe Jeevan Mendis, he used the exact term and I went like Sanga be careful about it."
'He bowls well in first away Test'
Interestingly, during the Q&A session on Wednesday, when Manjrekar was asked who would his first choice spinner be between Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin for the first Test, the commentator had a rather simple reason for his choice. Manjrekar chose Ashwin over Jadeja for the first Test citing that the Chennai-lad bowls really well in first away Tests.
The former cricketer also revealed that he thinks Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw have a stronger claim to be in the playing eleven. After Rohit Sharma sustained an injury in the T20 series, the ace opener missed the ODI series and has been rested for the Tests. With Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill both performing extremely well for India A team in the recent past, it seems to be a difficult decision for skipper Virat Kohli and the team management to pick one.
Updated 23:14 IST, February 19th 2020