Daijiworld Media Network – Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 30: Former cricketer S Sreesanth’s wife Bhuvneshwari Sreesanth has come down heavily on former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi and former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke after the duo revealed previously unseen footage of the infamous 2008 slapgate incident involving Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth.
The video, shown in a recent episode of Clarke's Beyond23 podcast, shows Harbhajan Singh slapping Sreesanth with the back of his hand following a match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab during the inaugural season of the IPL. The footage had never been aired before and was reportedly captured by Lalit Modi’s personal security camera after official broadcast cameras had shut down.
In a strong-worded statement shared on her Instagram stories, Bhuvneshwari expressed anguish over the footage resurfacing nearly 17 years later, calling it a “disgusting, heartless, and inhuman” act.
“Shame on you @lalitkmodi and @michaelclarkeofficial. You people are not even human to drag up something from 2008 just for your own cheap publicity and views,” she wrote.
She added that both players involved in the incident — Sreesanth and Harbhajan — have long moved on from the controversy and are now focused on raising their families.
“Both @sreesanthnair36 and Harbhajan have long moved on, they are fathers now with school-going children, and yet you try to throw them back into an old wound,” she said.
In another post, she revealed how the footage has brought back painful memories and also impacted their children.
“This is not just hurting the players, it’s scarring their innocent children who now have to face questions and shame for no fault of theirs. Both of them should be sued,” she added.
Lalit Modi, speaking during the podcast, defended the release of the footage, stating that he had kept the video private for nearly two decades but decided to share it now for transparency.
“The game was over, and the cameras had shut off. One of my security cameras was on… Bhajji just looked at him, said something, and gave him a backhander,” Modi revealed. “It’s been 18 years. I hadn’t released it until now.”
Following the incident in 2008, Harbhajan Singh was handed an eight-match ban. At the time, the BCCI and IPL took strong disciplinary action to maintain the league’s reputation.
In a recent interview with fellow spinner R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh had admitted that the incident remains a dark chapter in his life.
“It was a mistake… I have apologized to Sree many times. I wish I could erase that from my career,” Harbhajan had said.
The controversy's revival has sparked widespread criticism on social media, with many netizens echoing Bhuvneshwari’s sentiments and questioning the intent behind releasing the video now.