Mithali Raj hits out at coach Powar, official Edulji after World T20 row
NEW DELHI: The controversy surrounding Mithali Raj’s shocking exclusion from India’s World T20 semi-final against England took a turn for the worse on Tuesday with India’s former T20 captain, widely acknowledged as one of the best batswoman in the world, all but blaming coach Ramesh Powar for her controversial exclusion from that match (which India lost) and Committee of Administrator member Diana Edulji for not supporting her.
Raj’s exclusion was criticised by many experts, although team captain Harmanpreet Kaur said she has no regrets about the team management’s decision. On a bowler-friendly pitch, India was hopelessly at sea against a more professional England team.
NEW DELHI : The controversy surrounding Mithali Raj’s shocking exclusion from India’s World T20 semi-final against England took a turn for the worse on Tuesday with India’s former T20 captain, widely acknowledged as one of the best batswomen in the world, all but blaming coach Ramesh Powar for her controversial exclusion from that match (which India lost) and Committee of Administrators member Diana Edulji for not supporting her.
Raj’s exclusion was criticised by many experts, although team captain Harmanpreet Kaur said she has no regrets about the team management’s decision. On a bowler-friendly pitch, India was hopelessly at sea against a more professional England team.
Powar, who had a brief career as a bits-and-pieces cricketer in the Indian ODI team in the 2000s declined comment. Edulji couldn’t be reached for comment.
In a nearly 2000-word letter addressed to Board of Control for Cricket in India CEO Rahul Johri and General Manager, cricket operations Saba Karim, an emotional Raj has asked if her services “are of any value”.
“To put things in perspective, I have always reposed faith in Diana Edulji and have always respected her and her position as a member of the COA. Never did I think she will use her position against me, more after hearing what all I had to go through in the Caribbean as I had spoken to her about it,” Mithali wrote in the letter. Hindustan Times has seen a copy of the letter.
“Her (Edulji’s) brazen support in the press with regard to the decision of my benching in the semi final of the T/20 World Cup has left me deeply distressed, more because she knows the real facts having spoken to me,” Raj wrote. Edulji’s comment that “selection isn’t COA’s headache” seems to have especially angered Raj who wrote that this suggests an absence of checks and balances in the system.
Raj , who is Indian women’s cricket’s all-time leading scorer in ODIs and T20s, said 62-year-old Diana’s stance left her depressed.
“For the first time in a 20 year long career I felt deflated, depressed and let down. I am forced to think if my services to my country are of any value to a few people in power who are out to destroy me and break my confidence,” wrote Mithali.
The 35-year-old Raj also detailed the problems she has been facing from Power.
“My issues with the coach started immediately as we landed in the West Indies. At first there were small signs that his behaviour towards me was unfair and discriminatory,” she said.
Things grew progressively worse, according to her, till the semi-final. Then she was dropped. There was worse to follow, she added. Usually, Raj wrote, the entire team including the reserves got into the customary huddle ahead of play.
“To insult me that day (on the day of semi-final), he (Powar) sent a word through the manager to tell that it was only the playing XI that can join in the huddle and the rest can go back to the dugout making us feel as outcasts”.
“It was worrying and insulting because the coach was out to destroy and humiliate me. I couldn’t control my tears having given it my all for 20 years,” she added.
Never did I think she will use her position against me, more after hearing what all I had to go through in the Caribbean. MITHALI RAJ, On Diana Edulji