‘Can't treat people like trash’: Robin Uthappa on 17-year-old IPL slapgate video getting released

The resurfacing of the video by Lalit Modi and Michael Clarke has reignited the controversy. Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa, who was part of that match, has criticised Clarke for sharing it, drawing a parallel with how Australian cricket scandals were often kept under wraps to safeguard players’ reputations.

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“That whole Slapgate thing that happened in the IPL. What the f*** man? How does someone get away with stuff like that?" Uthappa said on the Kim-Appa show with Jarrod Kimber. “Now, imagine we put up a clip of something that an Australian did that was offensive, that was kept under wraps for the respect of that whole situation, to save the respect of that situation, which is an impulsive, bad decision that a human being made… Now that you have gone and interviewed someone, and you have got access to the file, do you think you have the right to publish it, put that into the world, and make those two people go through that whole emotion, that raw emotion, 20 years later?" he added.

Uthappa underlined that past errors shouldn't be constantly emphasized and questioned the lack of empathy in bringing up the Slapgate controversy. He also brought up the issue of racial double standards in cricket, pointing out that Indian players face prolonged humiliation whereas non-brown players usually escape criticism.

“Where is your sense of sensitivity and empathy for other people?" Uthappa asked. “We all make mistakes, but are we going to keep putting it out there to make people go through the embarrassment of the wrong choices the person has made? For me, it’s guys who aren’t brown skinned who get away with it a lot more. Today, we are speaking about Sunny G having an opinion on what other countries speak about Indian cricket. But what about this? Imagine the human implications of this… You can’t treat people like crap just because it’ll get you more views," he added.

Bhuvneshwari, Sreesanth's wife, expressed her strong emotional response to the revelation of the video, calling it "disgusting, heartless, and inhuman." She accused Modi and Clarke of milking the situation for attention and views, and she chastised them for putting her family back to painful memories in an Instagram post.

Modi has already responded to the criticism, claiming that when asked about it, he just said the truth. In a conversation with IANS, he stated, "I don’t understand why she (Sreesanth’s wife Bhuvneshwari) is upset. I was asked a question, and I provided the truth. There’s nothing I can do about that. I am known for speaking the truth. Sree was the victim, and that’s precisely what I conveyed. No one had previously asked me this question, so when Clarke made a remark, I replied."