Hanuma Vihari, the seasoned middle-order batsman with 16 Tests under his belt, has made a firm decision never to represent Andhra Pradesh in cricket again. His resolve comes in the wake of a contentious incident with a young player, which led to his removal as captain by the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) after his team’s victory over Bengal in their season opener in Visakhapatnam last month.
Hanuma Vihari Leaves Andhra Pradesh Domestic Team .
The incident in question involved Vihari expressing frustration towards the 17th member of the squad during a moment of tension. While Vihari admitted to reprimanding the player, he refrained from disclosing the name, citing the player’s young career and the desire to maintain confidentiality.
“I will never play for Andhra,” Vihari (30) told “I have lost my self-respect.”
The complaint lodged by the player’s father, reportedly an influential figure from Tirupati, prompted the ACA to seek Vihari’s resignation. In response, the ACA selectors appointed Ricky Bhui as the new skipper for the team, with the wicketkeeper-batsman leading Andhra Pradesh for the remainder of the season.
“I was the captain in the first game against Bengal. During the game, I reprimanded the 17th player, and he complained to his dad (politician). His father then asked the association to take action against me. Despite our successful chase of 410 against last year’s finalists (Bengal), I was asked to resign from the captaincy without any fault of mine.”
“I never made any personal remarks to the player. However, the association deemed the player’s importance greater than mine, despite my contributions to Andhra’s cricketing success over the years, including representing India in 16 Tests “
Despite Vihari’s significant contributions to Andhra cricket, having played 37 games for the team and captained in all prior to this season, his roots in Hyderabad have led to perceptions of him being an outsider by some factions within Andhra cricket. Nevertheless, Vihari remains one of the top 10 batters for Andhra, boasting over 2000 runs in his tally.
Reflecting on his future, Vihari stated that he will make a decision about his next team in due course. With his experience and talent, Vihari’s departure from Andhra cricket marks a significant turning point, leaving many to speculate about his future endeavors in the sport.
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