Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has strongly criticized former Australian captain Michael Clarke for releasing the controversial Slapgate video involving Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth without their permission. The incident, which took place during the inaugural IPL season in 2008, resurfaced recently after Clarke published the video on his social media platform following an interview with Lalit Modi, the former IPL chairman.
Uthappa expressed deep disappointment over Clarke’s decision to release the footage nearly two decades later, saying it showed a complete lack of empathy and sensitivity. Speaking on the Kim-Appa show with Jarrod Kimber, Uthappa questioned Clarke’s moral right to dig up and broadcast a moment that had been deliberately kept private out of respect for everyone involved.
"That whole Slapgate thing that happened in the IPL. What the f*** man? How does someone get away with stuff like that?" Uthappa exclaimed, clearly disturbed by the move. He added that Clarke, by putting the video out for public consumption, had forced Harbhajan and Sreesanth to relive a painful and embarrassing chapter of their lives.
The original incident occurred after a match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab in 2008, when Harbhajan Singh allegedly slapped his Indian teammate Sreesanth. While the matter had caused a stir at the time, no video had ever surfaced, until now.
Uthappa stressed that releasing such sensitive content after so many years only serves to reopen emotional wounds and has serious human consequences. He also highlighted the racial double standards he believes exist in global media, saying, “It’s guys who aren’t brown-skinned who get away with it a lot more.”
He continued, “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 situation. Do you think you have the right to publish it and make those two people go through that raw emotion, 20 years later?”
Uthappa’s impassioned criticism underscores a larger issue about respecting personal boundaries, responsible journalism, and racial privilege in international sports media. He called for more public conversation about the emotional toll such actions can have and emphasized that chasing online engagement should never come at the cost of another person’s dignity.
'I Don't Know Why She Is Getting Angry': Lalit Modi Breaks Silence After 'Slapgate' Footage Sparks Outrage From Sreesanth's Wife; Video
The controversial “Slapgate” incident from the inaugural 2008 IPL season has resurfaced after former IPL chairman Lalit Modi shared previously unseen footage during a recent episode of Michael Clarke’s Beyond23 Cricket Podcast. The video shows cricketer Harbhajan Singh slapping S. Sreesanth during the post-match handshake, a moment that has haunted Indian cricket fans for years.
The release of the footage triggered an emotional response from Sreesanth’s wife, Bhuvneshwari, who called it “disgusting, heartless, and inhuman.” In an Instagram post, she condemned Modi and Clarke for dragging her family through past trauma, accusing them of using the incident for publicity and views.
But Modi has now responded to the backlash, insisting that he merely told the truth when asked about it. Speaking to IANS, he said, "I don’t know why she (Sreesanth’s wife Bhuvneshwari) is getting angry. I was asked a question, and I shared the truth. I can’t do anything about that. I am known to speak the truth. Sree was the victim, and that’s exactly what I said. No one had asked me this question earlier, so when Clarke quipped, I responded."
Modi defended the timing of the revelation, emphasizing that the question came up organically during the podcast and that he had not been asked about the incident before. His claim that “Sree was the victim” aligns with public sympathy that has always tilted toward Sreesanth.
Bhuvneshwari, however, maintains that the incident should have remained buried, citing the emotional toll it takes on her family, especially their children.
