KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Cricket Association will be issuing a statement regarding the recent conundrum involving one of its cricketers, Harinder Singh Sekhon, after the player was unreasonably kicked out of the national team’s WhatsApp chat group.
Speaking to The Vibes, the association’s chief operating officer Dinesh Muthuraman said the association will be sending out an official statement tomorrow on the matter.
“We will be issuing a statement tomorrow, more information on the matter will be known then,” he said.
Harinder, 31, took to his social media accounts yesterday to share how he was kicked out of the chat group by the team’s coach without being given a reason, as he could not attend practice due to his work.
Fed up…? pic.twitter.com/w3XbjFhgI2
— Harinder Sekhon (@harinsekhonn) September 27, 2022
Being a mathematics teacher by day and a cricket player by night, Harinder has been juggling both professions, while also being a Guiness World Record holder for the highest single-leg jump at 1.384m.
“How can the national cricket team coach just remove me because I can’t make it to training tomorrow as it clashes with my day job?” he said.
“I am juggling work as a full-time teacher and playing cricket, as well as in the process of breaking another jumping world record.
“Within minutes of giving my unavailability for the training tomorrow I get removed by the coach,” he added.
Harinder added that he had privately messaged the coach to inform him of his difficult situation with work and family but the coach said he had overlooked the message.
“The coach then adds me back to the group and does not give a proper reason to remove me, then removes me again!
“I never said I am retiring or taking a break from cricket. Does the coach have sole authority to remove players?
“Genuinely disappointed and tired with the system. I’ve sacrificed what I have so far for my country and in return there is zero respect and communication,” he added.
Harinder also went on to say that there are many other issues within the association that have been swept under the rug.
“Not giving players fair chances in selection matches so that ‘favourites’ can get better opportunities to get picked” is one of the issues, he alleged.
“Two to three months ago before a tour to Canada, out of five selection matches I was available for three and I wasn’t given a chance to bat in all three.
“No reason has been given to me about that to this day. The coach said he would talk to me after the tournament but nothing has happened,” he claimed.
In a following tweet, Harinder said the association’s president Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali had reached out to him and confirmed that an investigation into the matter is ongoing.
UPDATE: President of MCA has reached out and confirmed that an investigation is ongoing. I am waiting for an update since then. Thanks for the support guys ??
— Harinder Sekhon (@harinsekhonn) September 29, 2022
“Something needs to be done. I am lucky and privileged enough to speak about this unlike some of my teammates.
“I have been quiet about this publicly for too long. Years of mental torture and mistreatment comes to an end today for me,” Harinder said. – The Vibes, September 30, 2022
