Vinod Kambli apologised to Sachin Tendulkar after a TOI report on Tuesday said the former cricketer had, in an upcoming reality show,accused his childhood friend of letting him down when he was going through a rough patch in his career.
"Sachin is a very close friend and he knows that Vinod can never say such things. My family is shattered and so is his. I can understand what Sachin must have gone through if he has come to know of it. I can never say anything like this against him," Kambli told news channels.
"You’ll have to see the whole show to believe it. Whatever has happened, I feel bad about it," he said. "He is my friend for 26 years, people should know that I will never say such a thing against my friend. He is currently in London and I will meet him soon," Kambli added. He also refuted his alleged statements against the BCCI. "I have played for India for 18 years. I can’t even dream of speaking against BCCI," said Kambli.
Meanwhile, the cricket board dismissed as "baseless" Kambli’s charge that he was a victim of racial discrimination on selection matters.
Kambli, who began with much promise but fizzled out after innumerable comebacks, was reported by TOI to have made these allegations against the BCCI in the same TV show.
"It is completely a baseless and uncalled for charge. BCCI does not believe in getting into all this. In fact, BCCI is one body which is fighting against racism at the international level," BCCI’s finance and media committee chairman Rajiv Shukla said. Shukla said also selectors always took performance-based decisions while choosing the national team.
"It was purely performance-based decision. Selectors take only performance-based decisions and the same yardstick was used for Kambli," he said.
On Kambli’s remarks on Tendulkar, Shukla defended the batting maestro, saying he always helped his teammates. "Tendulkar is one man who has always been helping all the players, even the juniors. This charge cannot be subscribed against Tendulkar," Shukla added.
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