'Always adhered to highest standards of professional conduct' - Star Sports issues statement amid Rohit Sharma's 'breach of privacy' tweet

Star Sports issued a statement in reply to Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who blamed them for 'breach of privacy' after they recorded a clip despite his disapproval and aired it as well.

Rohit was having a conversation with some of his friends during a training session of the Mumbai Indians on May 16 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. He requested the cameraman to not record the audio, saying that a similar thing got him into trouble earlier in the tournament. However, the clip was recorded and subsequently aired and became a point of discussion among the fans.

Also Read: IPL 2024: Rohit Sharma hits at broadcaster for 'breach of privacy' in blunt tweet

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…

— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) May 19, 2024

After Rohit took to Twitter with his hard-hitting tweet, Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the Indian Premier League (IPL), issued a statement, saying that the audio of the conversation between Rohit and his friends wasn't captured. Only the part where the legendary player was asking not to record the conversation was recorded and aired.

"A clip involving a senior Indian player and his post on social media have gained prominence since yesterday. 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," Star Sports wrote in its statement.

"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," it added.

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For the unversed, Kolkata Knight Riders uploaded a video where Rohit was involved in a heart-to-heart conversation with long-time friend Abhishek Nayar during a practice session earlier in the tournament. While the former Mumbai Indians captain didn't say anything conclusive, fans read between the lines and speculated that he was expressing his displeasure at being a part of the five-time IPL-winning franchise and playing under Hardik Pandya. This video was subsequently deleted by KKR but the damage had already been done.