The almost two-decade-old IPL "slapgate" saga has again made headlines following an old, never-before-seen footage of the episode being shared on social media by former IPL chairman Lalit Modi. Modi talked about the controversial episode on his appearance on Michael Clarke's podcast, Beyond 23.
While the episode involving Harbhajan Singh slapping S Sreesanth is well-documented, the video had never been released—until Lalit Modi chose to do so, triggering controversy all over again.
Sreesanth's wife has also lambasted Lalit Modi for uploading the video on the net, and Harbhajan also lashed out at the former IPL chief for indulging in "selfish motives" in leaking it.
"The way the video has been leaked, it's wrong. It shouldn't have happened. They might have a selfish motive behind it. Something that happened 18 years ago, people have forgotten, and they are reminding people about it," Harbhajan said to Instant Bollywood.
Harbhajan has over the years consistently shown remorse over what happened. He has personally apologized to Sreesanth on several occasions, and the two have since made amends. However, the release of the 18-year-old video has again sparked debate among cricket fans.
"I feel bad for whatever happened. We were playing, and everyone had things going on in their mind. Mistakes happened, and we do feel ashamed about it," he added.
"Yes, the video has gone viral. It was an unfortunate incident, and I have said on many occasions that I made a mistake. Humans make mistakes, and I did one too. I have requested Lord Ganesh to forgive me if I make a mistake again. Mistakes happen," Harbhajan added.
After the IPL slapgate incident in 2008, Harbhajan was banned for 11 matches.
Read also| Gill, Bumrah Pass Fitness Test for Asia Cup; Rohit Also Clears
