Cricketer Hanuma Vihari today revealed the reason behind his decision to give up his captaincy and the Andhra cricket team after the Ranji Trophy quarter final defeat against Madhya Pradesh recently. He said that he had shouted at a player in the team. That player happens to be the son of a powerful politician. Due to political interference, the Andhra Cricket Association asked him to step down as the captain.
Taking to Instagram, Vihari wrote that he was the captain in the first game against Bengal when the shouting incident took place. "Although we chased 410 against last year’s finalists Bengal, I was asked to resign from captaincy without any fault of mine," he wrote.
Vihari added, "I never said anything on a personal note to the player but the association thought that player was more important than the guy who gave his body on the line last year and batted left handed, took Andhra to knock outs 5 times in the last 7 years and played for India in 16 tests. I felt embarrassed but the only reason I continued playing this season is because I respect the game and my team. Sad part is the association thinks that players have to listen to whatever they say and players are there because of them. I felt humiliated and embarrassed but I have not expressed it until today."
Netizens are outraged against the politicization of sports bodies. "We will continue to be a mediocre sporting nation if our sports bodies are not saved from politicians and bureaucrats," a Netizen wrote.
