Ambati Rayudu is one name that is never far away from controversies. He has always been in headlines especially ever since the 3D glasses saga and retiring from the game and then making U-turn some time back.
Now he has found himself once again in the limelight after he opted out of the upcoming Ranji Trophy season for Hyderabad. The reason he has cited is "rampant corruption" prevailing at Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).
Ambati Rayudu makes himself unavailable for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season
He has also said that he brought the issue to the attention of HCA President and former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin, but he didn’t get stringent actions. Rayudu further alleged that "rich, influential and politicians’ children" get preferential treatment for selection into the Hyderabad team.
He said, "I did have a talk with the president. He always said he was trying his best. But it never happened. I feel he should have initiated stronger measures but he did not do that. I feel there were more election promises and as a result, the game suffered. It hurt me a lot. A few players, who did not deserve to be in the team, were included in the team because of the election promises. If this happens, how can a team improve? My hands were tight (sic) for the playing eleven when it came to few players and they were untouchable during the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament.”
"If you look at the team, some of the players are selected because of the influence of some club secretaries. Sometimes, merit takes a back seat. This is unfortunate. Rich, influential and politicians' children get preferences in Hyderabad teams. This is a true fact. We have to stop this buck. Since someone had to speak out, I thought I should do this. This is how bad the system has become in HCA,” he concluded
Rayudu, who is 34-years-old, also tweeted about the same to Telangana's Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao with a message, “Hello sir @KTRTRS, I request u to plz look into nd address the rampant corruption prevailing in hca. Hw can Hyderabad be great when it's cricket team is influenced by money nd corrupt ppl who hav numerous acb cases against them which are being swept under the carpet.”
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Rayudu, who was Hyderabad captain in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, said there was a lot of politics in the team that made him very "uncomfortable" and thus he chose to opt-out of the team.
"In all honesty, I was looking forward to playing for Hyderabad in Ranji Trophy this season. But unfortunately, the script did not go on the expected lines. There is a lot of politics in the team and the atmosphere was not conducive for good cricket. I felt very uncomfortable," Rayudu said in an interview with Telangana Today.
(India today/ Telangana Today inputs)
