Indian player v coach spat takes nasty turn
India’s women’s one-day captain threatened to retire if she didn’t open the batting at the recent Twenty20 World Cup in the Carribean, coach Ramesh Powar claims.
Powar made the claim regarding Mithali Raj in an official report to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, as the fiery fallout between the pair continues.
Earlier in the week, Raj penned an explosive letter, accusing the coach of ‘‘humiliating’’ her and and threatening to destroy her career.
Powar took over the as interim coach in July, replacing Tushar Arothe after a group of senior players, understood to include Raj, forced him to step down.
India lost to England in the semifinals of the T20 tournament earlier this month, after Raj issued her initial threat to retire and return home on the eve of India’s second group match, against Pakistan.
The 35-year-old, who has played 197 ODIs and 85 T20s for her country, didn’t bat in the tournament opener against New Zealand, a match India posted the highest total in the tournament.
Powar opted to bat her in the middle order, explaining that she struggled to score quickly in the practice games which were played on slow wickets.
‘‘I hope Mithali Raj stops blackmailing, pressurising coaches and also stops putting her interest first than team’s,’’ he wrote. ‘‘I hope she will look at the bigger picture and work towards betterment of the Indian women’s cricket.’’
His report to the BCCI, according to ESPNcricinfo, started by saying Raj had minimal input at team meetings.
‘‘Could not understand and adapt to team plan. Ignored her role and batted for own milestones,’’ Powar stated.
He also alleged Raj had ‘‘tantrums’ and created ‘‘chaos’’ in the team environment, and told manager Trupti Bhattacharya she wanted to go home because she was ‘‘very upset that coach is not looking after a legend player like her’’.
A reluctance to participate in fielding and practice drills was also mentioned, prompting Powar to sum up the situation: ‘‘For Mithali Raj, she comes first and then team India.’’
He said he was shell-shocked when video analyst Pushkar Sawant told him Raj, who according to Powar had agreed to bat in the middle order, had packed her bags on the eve of the Pakistan match, and would announce her retirement in the morning.
‘‘I was shell-shocked to understand why.
‘‘Team had just beaten one of the top teams [New Zealand] and Mithali Raj, a legend, is still complaining about her batting position and threatening to leave.’’
Powar succumbed to pressure, opting to open with Raj against Pakistan. India chased down 134 in the penultimate over with Raj scoring an unbeaten 47-ball 56.
She struck a 56-ball 51 against Ireland after again opening in the next match. Her innings included 25 dot balls, having played out another 17 against Pakistan.
Powar claims that it cost the team net run-rate, and her questioning his plan to dominate at all times was a distraction on the eve of their semifinal against England, a match that Raj wasn’t selected for.
‘‘I hope Mithali Raj stops blackmailing, pressurising coaches and also stops putting her interest first than team’s.’’ Coach Ramesh Powar