Broadcasters issue statement addressing Rohit Sharma’s comments on ‘breach of privacy’, claim it went as part of live telecast

New Delhi, May 20: Following Rohit Sharma’s public criticism of broadcasters of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 in which the India captain accused them of “breach of privacy,” Star Sports has released a statement in response to the 37-year-old batter. Rohit has spoken against the invasion of privacy of players as the official broadcaster of the IPL 2024 aired a private conversation of the former Mumbai Indians captain during a training session, despite being told not to record it.

"The lives of cricketers have become so intrusive that cameras are now recording every step and conversation we are having in privacy with our friends and colleagues, at training or on match days.

"Despite asking Star Sports to not record my conversation, it was and was also then played on air, which is a breach of privacy. The need to get exclusive content and focused only on views and engagement will one day break the trust between the fans, cricketers, and cricket,” Rohit posted on X on Sunday.

Reacting to the Indian skipper's comments, the broadcasters issued a statement, clarifying their stance on the matter.

"A clip involving a senior Indian player and his post on social media have gained prominence since yesterday. The clip, taken during a training session on May 16 at the Wankhede stadium, for which Star Sports had authorized access, momentarily showed the senior player in conversation with his friends on the sidelines. No audio from this conversation was either recorded or broadcast," it said in a statement.

"The clip, which only showed the senior player requesting for the audio of his conversation to not be recorded, got featured in Star Sports’ live coverage of pre-match preparations and lacked editorial relevance beyond this.

"Star Sports has always adhered to the highest standards of professional conduct while broadcasting cricket all over the world. Respect for players’ privacy while bringing fans, moments of intense action and preparations, sits at the core of this ethos, which the broadcaster remains committed to," it added.

"The incident in question was a clip of Rohit, who was seen having a private conversation ahead of Mumbai Indians’ final game of the season against the Lucknow Super Giants.

It is altogether another matter that there is always a gap of 8 to 10 seconds between the actual action, and it being aired even in a 'live' broadcast. The gap is maintained to ensure no unwanted content is aired,

The sequence of events began when the Kolkata Knight Riders shared a video featuring Rohit Sharma and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar. The video included audio of a light-hearted chat between the two, which was later deleted.

Subsequently, during a live training session on Star Sports, Rohit Sharma was seen asking the cameras not to record any audio of his conversations with friends on the sidelines. "Bhai yaar audio band kar bhai, ek audio ne meri waat laga diya hai,” said Rohit to a cameraman on the training ground which was then shown on air by Star Sports.