Ahead of their keenly-awaited IPL clash with the Sourav Ganguly-led Pune Warriors, the Kolkata Knight Riders management has placed a gag order on the players or interacting with the media.
“We have some rules and regulations that we are following,” Knight Riders‘ Bangladeshi recruit Shakib Al Hasan said.
As a matter of fact, the team had hired a PR firm to arrange players’ interaction, but the agency now says they were helpless as the Knight Riders had stopped responding for quite some time.
the Kolkata Knight Riders management has placed a gag order on the players or interacting with the media. AFP
“We had sent a list of media requests for players’ interviews, but the management says no player is available now or not getting time. I can’t help. I am just waiting for the tournament to get over. I feel we have no role now,” said an official of the PR firm.
Such was the pressure in the home camp that the Knight Riders did not allow the media from joining the teammates in a promotional party at the team hotel late last night, despite having invited the scribes for the programme. The media invitation read, “Please join us for the coolest party in town with the Kolkata Knight Riders team.”
But what transpired late last night was a photo-op with Manoj Tiwary, Laxmipathy Balaji, Eoin Morgan, Brendon McCullum and Ryan ten Doeschate as a section of media boycotted the event after they were not allowed to join the party as was mentioned in the invitation.
After much pursuation by the PR agency, team director Joy Bhattacharya allowed Tiwary but only for two questions. Repeated attempts to get the matter to CEO Venky Mysore went in vain.
The excitement and interest for Saturday’s clash is palpable, with city’s idol, Ganguly, in the visitors camp. The match is seen by many as Ganguly’s revenge match against his former team that snubbed him after an acrimonious three-year association.
Left unsold at the 2011 IPL auction, the left-hander made a comeback in Pune colours, and will be using the visitors dressing room for the first time at the Eden Gardens, where he grew up playing cricket.
PTI
