ZCZC
BSP-19
CRICKET-IND-RAJ
Angry Indian cricket legend opens fire over World T20 exclusion
NEW DELHI, Nov 27, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Indian cricket heroine Mithali Raj has
furiously accused cricket leaders of bias for dropping her for last Friday’s
World Twenty20 semi-final, which India lost to England.
Raj, the highest run scorer in the women’s international game and still
India’s one-day captain, wrote a furious letter of complaint and met Board of
Control for Indian Cricket (BCCI) leaders on Monday to vent her anger.
“For the first time in a 20 year long career, I felt deflated, depressed
and let down,” said the 35-year-old in the letter seen by AFP.
Raj questioned whether “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.”
Raj singled out BCCI committee of administrators member Diana Edulji and
national coach Remash Powar for dropping her from the team beaten by eight
wickets by England.
“The brazen support of a COA member is a clear sign of bias and also that
a stance has already been taken against me,” said Raj, who has played 197 one
day internationals, 85 T20 matches and 10 Tests for India since making her
50-over debut in 1999 against Ireland.
Raj hit two straight half-centuries at the World T20 in the West Indies
before missing India’s last league game against Australia with a knee injury.
She was declared fit on the eve of the England semi-final but the
selectors stuck with the team that beat Australia. T20 captain Harmanpreet
Kaur said selectors had stuck to a “winning combination”.
“I would also like to point out that I have nothing against the T20
captain Harmanpreet Kaur except for the fact that her call to support the
decision of the coach to leave me out of the eleven was baffling and
hurtful,” Raj wrote.
“I wanted to win the World Cup for my country and it hurts me because we
lost a golden opportunity.”
England lost to Australia in the tournament final.
“Never did I think she (Edulji) 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.”
The BCCI did not immediately comment on Raj’s tirade.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1908 hrs