Harbhajan Singh Slams Lalit Modi For Leaking Old Sreesanth Slap Video

The Indian Premier League has provided spectators with some of the most memorable cricketing moments but it has also witnessed controversies that refuse to end. One of the darkest moments in the history of the IPL occurred back in 2008 during its first season when Harbhajan Singh slapped Indian teammate S Sreesanth. The episode stunned the cricket community and set off a storm of controversies throughout the nation. Even though people have moved on and the two cricketers sorted out their problems years ago the issue reared its head almost two decades later due to Lalit Modi, the ex-IPL chairman, choosing to leak an unheard-of video of that incident on social media. His move has created new outrage and fierce responses among players as well as their relatives.

Lalit Modi recently appeared as a guest on a podcast by former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke titled Beyond 23. While having the discussion, the matter of the slapgate incident was discussed and then Modi shared the video on the internet for all to witness. So far fans had only heard about the incident through news reports and the visible tears in Sreesanth's eyes on the field but the real video evidence of Harbhajan slapping him was never released. Once the video went online it picked up very fast and immediately went viral once again fueling debate surrounding what actually took place that day.

Harbhajan Singh made no secret of his reaction to this release. He labelled Lalit Modi as selfish and condemned him for a great deal for releasing the clip after such a long time. In Harbhajan's view, all the controversies had been laid to rest ages ago and both he and Sreesanth had moved on in both their personal and professional lives. The experienced spinner stated that there was no point reminding anyone of something as negative in the past particularly after eighteen years. He accused Modi of being selfish and involving himself in the incident for personal attention instead of being concerned about the people involved.

The wife of Sreesanth also condemned the release of the video strongly. According to her, it was not necessary to pull the name of her husband into a controversy that was already past. Both families had moved on from the issue and the re-emergence of the clip only reminded them of painful memories that were of no use. A lot of fans on social media also asked why Lalit Modi felt it was okay to share something that would damage reputations and relationships after all this while.

For Harbhajan it was one of the lowest moments of his professional career. He has consistently apologized to Sreesanth and supporters for losing his cool on the pitch. He confessed it was a bad mistake which occurred in the spur of the moment and he has apologized on a number of occasions. Following the incident in 2008 the Board of Control for Cricket in India suspended him for 11 matches which prevented him playing in most of that season of the IPL. The penalty was a reminder of how seriously the issue was viewed in those days.

In his most recent response Harbhajan again conceded his error. He stated that human beings do make errors and he was no different. He reminded everyone that during games emotions are running high and players tend to lose control sometimes. He was embarrassed at what had occurred and claimed he apologized to Lord Ganesh for his mistake. The ex-spinner further commented that humans are not infallible and when errors occur the right thing to do is just accept them and attempt to proceed. He believed relaunching the video merely reminded others about an event that needed to remain in the past.

Despite all the adverse publicity the event has garnered over the years Harbhajan and Sreesanth have kissed and made up. They have appeared together at public functions and even on television programmes presenting that they bear no grudges now. Their friendship has been mended and both men have emphasized that they look up to each other. Harbhajan has clarified that he does not wish the controversy to color either of their careers. He feels fans must look at their roles for Indian cricket and not at one poor instance.

The video leak has though again demonstrated how quickly past controversies resurface in the internet era. Social media guarantees that whatever is concealed somewhere will one day resurface and travel instantly. Although some fans might find it entertaining to know what actually transpired others think that it creates too much unnecessary drama and harms the reputation of the individuals involved. Here the sharing of the video has universally been condemned as selfish and irresponsible.

Lalit Modi has frequently been in the middle of controversy regarding IPL. He was the mastermind behind the league during its initial years but subsequently encountered his own share of controversies as well as legal issues. Most feel that his move to release the slapgate video was another bid to attract attention and remain current in the world of cricket. For Harbhajan it was a cheap trick that only served to reopen old sores. He emphasized that the world had moved on from there and there was no need to bring it back into the picture.

The slapgate controversy will always be a part of IPL history but also a reminder that even great players are human and can make errors. The point is how they deal with those errors later on. Harbhajan has taken responsibility for his act and Sreesanth has forgiven him demonstrating maturity and improvement on both their parts. Fans who watched Indian cricket back then recall the scandal but they also recall the numerous victories and iconic performances served by the players for the national team.

The resurfacing of this video some almost two decades after the fact has brought about a new wave of interest but it also speaks about the significance of forgiving and forgetting. Harbhajan has patched things up with Sreesanth and they have both constructed new careers and lives since the incident. Reliving one bad mistake does nothing to alter what occurred and only has the potential to ruin reputations once again. By accusing Lalit Modi of motives of selfishness Harbhajan has made it evident that he is interested in letting the world of cricket let go of this scandal and turn its attention to the good that the players in it have done.

Ultimately, slapgate video leak reveals the potential and threat of social media to keep old scandals live. Though it might be thrilling for fans to recall a scandal from the infancy of the IPL the individuals at the center of it have already moved on. Harbhajan Singh's tough words remind us that forgiving growing and moving ahead are preferable to dwelling on past missteps. The 2008 incident can never be forgotten but what really counts is how the players have resolved to learn from it and make it not define them today.