Hanuma Vihari, a seasoned batsman and former Andhra captain, revealed the reasons behind his resignation from Andhra’s captaincy, citing undue influence from the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA).
Following a disappointing Ranji Trophy quarter-final defeat to Madhya Pradesh in Indore on Monday, Hanuma Vihari took to social media to explain his decision to step down from captaincy, stating he was forced to resign after reprimanding a player who happened to be the son of a politician.
Vihari’s post detailed the incident, which occurred during the match against Bengal. He stated, “During that game I shouted on 17th player and he complained to his dad (who is a politician), his dad in return asked the Association to take action against me. Although, we chased 410 against last year’s finalists Bengal I was asked to resign from captaincy without any fault of mine. I never said anything on a personal note to the player but the association thought that player was more important…”
He further expressed his disappointment and revealed that he only continued playing for the sake of his team and his passion for the game. However, the internal politics within the ACA became too daunting for him to continue. Vihari’s post declared, “I’ve decided that I’ll never play for Andhra where I lost my self-respect. “
However, wicket-keeper batsman KN Prudhviraj, identified as the player Vihari allegedly “abused,” contested Vihari’s claims on social media. Prudhviraj stated, “Whatever you guys heard is absolutely false, no one is higher than the game and my self-respect is much bigger than anything. Personal attacks and vulgar language is unacceptable in any platform.”
Vihari’s distaste with the ACA was imminent. He initially expressed a desire to join Madhya Pradesh before the current season, but the Andhra Association denied him a No Objection Certificate (NOC). Following Vihari’s resignation, Ricky Bhui took over Andhra’s captaincy for the remainder of the season.
Last Updated on February 26, 2024
