'We had authorised access': IPL broadcaster's hard-hitting reply to Rohit Sharma

On Sunday, Rohit Sharma spewed his disappointment with Star Sports for making his on-field conversations public. The former Mumbai Indians captain defined it as a breach of privacy on the part of IPL broadcasters. In reply, Star Sports has come up with a clarification on the issue.

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Rohit Sharma calls Star Sports' conduct a ‘breach of privacy’

Rohit Sharma communicated his vexation through a social media post. Here's what Rohit wrote:

"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. Let better sense prevail."

Rohit Sharma conveyed his disappointment earlier as well after a clip of him and Abhishek Nayar became viral.  

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Star Sports comes up with a clarification

The official IPL broadcasters, Star Sports, have broken the silence on the matter, stating that they had the authorised access to exhibit the video. 

"The clip, taken during a training session on May 16 at Wankhede stadium, for which Star Sports had authorised access, momentarily showed the senior player in conversation with his friends on the sidelines. No audio from this conversation was either recorded or broadcast.

"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," the channel stated.

"No audio from this conversation was either recorded or broadcast. 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," they said in a statement.