Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has voiced strong disapproval over the resurfacing of the infamous "slapgate" video involving Harbhajan Singh
and Sreesanth during the IPL 2008 season.
The incident, which had been long buried, was recently brought back into the public eye by ex-IPL chairman Lalit Modi, while talking in a podcast with former Australia player Michael Clarke.
Ashwin has condemned this move, emphasizing that both players have moved on, and reopening the matter only stirs unnecessary trouble.
Ashwin addressed the issue on his YouTube channel, lamenting the modern era's endless circulation of videos but underscoring the need to close old chapters.
"It is the head of the anaconda that keeps on rising. In the modern day and age, footage and videos are everywhere. I just feel it is not a proud moment for both of them. I don't wish to address too much about it. The incident is over. Everyone knows about it. Harbhajan came to our podcast and spoke about how he felt. Yes, you made a mistake, and you need to live with it for the rest of your life," Ashwin said.
He urged for moving forward rather than rehashing past mistakes, emphasizing that both Harbhajan and Sreesanth had already buried the hatchet.
"But you need to move on, too. Some folks may have done something like this at home and so the outside world would not know about it. I don't wish to accuse anyone. The less we speak about it, the better. Anyone who makes a mistake, when they get a chance to move on, they take that chance," Ashwin added.
Harbhajan Singh also criticized Modi's decision, suggesting selfish motives behind the late release of the video. He acknowledged the incident happened at a heated moment in the game but stressed that both players have since reconciled. In a similar vein, Sreesanth's wife condemned the leak as disgraceful and painful for their family.
