The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Monday targeted Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy after cricketer Hanuma Vihari vowed not to play for Andhra Pradesh again after he was humiliated.
Vihari revealed that he was asked to resign as captain of Andhra team after a run-in with a player, whose father, a politician, complained to the Andhra Pradesh Cricket Association.
Senior TDP leader and party’s national spokesperson Kommareddy Pattabhi Ram slammed Jagan Mohan Reddy for what he called crushing talented players like Hanuma Vihari.
According to the TDP leader, Hanuma Vihari was pressurised to resign after an altercation with his teammate Kuntrapakam Prudhviraj.
Prudhviraj’s father Kuntrapakam Narasimha is a YSRCP corporator from Tirupati.
Vihari was subjected to relentless verbal abuse and humiliation finally resulting in his decision not to play for Andhra ever again, Pattabhi Ram said.
“Even in the Andhra Cricket Association, Jagan Mohan Reddy has put his henchmen. The president of the cricket association is Sharat Chandra Reddy who is also accused in the Delhi liquor case. Criminals who are close to Jagan Reddy are running the cricket association,” he said.
He also hit back at Jagan for YSRCP’s unsolicited interference in the Andhra Cricket Association.
“Andhra Pradesh lost a bright cricket talent because of Jagan Reddy,” added the leader.
Vihari posted on Instagram that he decided not to play for Andhra where he lost his self-respect.
His post was about the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 season.
“I was the captain in the first game against Bengal, 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 than the guy who gave his body on the line last year and batted left handed, took Andhra to knock outs 5 times in the last 7 years and played for India in 16 tests. I felt embarrassed but the only reason I continued playing this season because I respect the game and my team,” he wrote.
“Sad part is association thinks that players have to listen to whatever they say and players are there because of them. I felt humiliated and embarrassed but I’ve not expressed it out until today. I have decided that I will never play for Andhra where I lost my self respect. I love the team. I love the way we’re growing every season but association doesn’t want us to grow,” Vihari added.