A new development occurred in the ongoing dispute between Hanuma Vihari and the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) as the state body declared an investigation against the senior cricketer. This comes after Vihari accused the ACA of pressuring him to step down from the captaincy at the beginning of the current season. The controversy escalated following Andhra’s defeat in the Ranji Trophy on Monday when Hanuma Vihari declared that he would no longer represent the team, citing “mistreatment” by the state association.
The ACA issued a media release stating, “Complaints have been received from teammates, support staff, and ACA administrators regarding Vihari’s use of offensive language and abusive behavior. ACA will conduct a comprehensive inquiry into all complaints, and the appropriate course of action will be communicated.”
Hanuma Vihari, in a recent outburst, criticized a reserve team-mate, claiming that the player, who is the son of a politician, had sought his father’s intervention after Vihari rebuked him during a match. ACA revealed receiving a complaint from the junior player about Vihari’s behavior during the Bengal Ranji game.
The official release stated, “It has come to our attention that Mr. Vihari personally verbally abused a specific player during the Bengal Ranji game in front of everyone. The affected player filed an official complaint with the ACA.” Vihari shared a statement on his social media account, signed by fellow Andhra team members, supporting his claim.
Expressing his discontent on Instagram, Hanuma Vihari mentioned, “The sad part is the association thinks that players have to listen to whatever they say, and players are there because of them. I’ve decided that I’ll never play for Andhra where I lost my self-respect. I love the team and the way we’re growing every season, but the association doesn’t want us to grow.”
Despite starting the season as Andhra captain, Vihari stepped down after the first match against Bengal, citing “personal reasons.” However, he now asserts that the association forced him to resign due to a complaint from a player whose father holds political influence. The ACA, on the other hand, stated that appointing a new captain was a precautionary measure considering Vihari’s potential unavailability due to national team commitments.
The player in question, KN Prudhvi Raj, refuted Vihari’s claims on Instagram, stating, “Personal attacks and vulgar language are unacceptable. Everyone in the team knows what happened that day…Mr. so-called champion. Play this sympathy game however you want.”
Vihari also expressed dissatisfaction with the association’s lack of appreciation for his contributions, citing an instance where he played through an injury in the previous Ranji Trophy. Despite being linked with a move to Madhya Pradesh, Hanuma Vihari ultimately decided to stay with Andhra for the 2023-2024 domestic season. The ACA countered, stating that Vihari himself reversed the decision to leave and opted to continue with the Andhra team.
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