New Delhi: Former Indian bowler S Sreesanth has rekindled his ugly feud with Harbhajan Singhthrowing an apparent challenge to the former spinner for an infighting nearly two decades later IPLThe infamous ‘Slapgate’ controversy.In an explosive speech that appeared on Lallantop, Sreesanth accused Harbhajan of repeatedly benefiting from the 2008 incident and challenged his former Indian teammate to resolve their differences in the real tournament.“The same show, do you have the energy? Do you have the motivation to join me in the arena? Can you sign and come?” Sreesanth said referring to an old promotional photo of the two wearing boxing gloves.“Wearing these same gloves? That’s not working. I’m smiling. You’re not even smiling, I don’t know what you’re doing. Let’s see. This is an obvious challenge,” he added.
‘If you got a problem with me, come in the ring’
Sreesanth, who recently competed in the Bear Knuckle Fight League, continued his criticism and urged Harbhajan to settle the matter inside the ring instead of rehashing the controversy through advertisements.“Right now I’m in the Bear Knuckle Fight League. I’m challenging you, Bhajji,” he said. “If you have such a big problem with the slap thing with me, and you get so much…let me have it too. Get in the ring. I’m calling you from the bottom of my heart.”“If we have self-respect, we should not trade with all that. In a real way, to all the Malayalis and all the Sardars, please come. I am waiting,” he said.
Sreesanth says the controversial commercial has reopened old wounds
The former skipper revealed that he had never spoken publicly about Harbhajan and what happened in 2008 until recently, saying that the new advertisement featuring the former spinner had brought back pain.“I have never spoken about Bhajji in any interview. This will be the first time,” Sreesanth told Mathrubhumi when Harbhajan’s new commercial came out. “Until recently there were no problems, but they also made advertisements. They made about Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore.”Sreesanth said that the commercial made him cut ties with Harbhajan as well.“If someone has wronged you, you should forgive them but don’t forget, if you forget, they will do the same thing again. He is the main example of this,” he said. “I have no relationship with that person. I used to call him brother. But in the last month or two he has done a commercial and now I have blocked him on Instagram. “The comments have revived memories of the 2008 IPL ‘Slapgate’ episode, when Harbhajan, then representing Mumbai Indians, slapped Sreesant after a match against King XI Punjab. Harbhajan later apologized and was suspended for the rest of the season, both players seem to have reconciled in the following years.However, Sreesanth’s recent outburst shows that the wounds inflicted on Indian cricket’s most controversial side have not healed.
