Feeling Betrayed, Mithali Raj Keeps To Herself In Dressing Room Now

A disappointed Mithali Raj has expressed that she feels betrayed over the controversy that erupted after the ICC Women’s World T20 last year,. Raj termed her omission from the team during the semi-final of the World T20 in the Caribbean as the darkest day of her life. So a heartbroken Raj tries to keep to herself in the dressing room these days.

Raj had accused BCCI Committee of Administrators (CoA) member and former player Diana Edulji of bias after she was dropped from for the semi-final against England. She had also lashed out at Ramesh Powar for allegedly humiliating her.

Speaking to Cricbuzz during the ongoing Women’s T20 Challenge, Raj said, “I wouldn’t say I felt lonely but I definitely feel that I was betrayed,” further adding, “When you hear terms like ‘selfish’ and all, it only makes those people very small.”

In a letter to the BCCI, she had earlier written, “To put things in perspective, I have always reposed faith in Diana Edulji and have always respected her and her position as a member of the COA. Never did I think she will use her position against me, more after hearing what all I had to go through in the Caribbean as I had spoken to her about it.”

I do keep to myself and people can’t judge me for that right now. If they even have a little bit of humanity in them, they would understand what I have gone through to put myself to be on my own. - Mithali Raj

When asked to explain the betrayal, Raj claimed, “I felt betrayed because when you reach out to people who are very important, who hold a post, and you tell them exactly what happened and then you get to know that there’s a big controversy or conspiracy in fact that has happened."

The veteran Indian cricketer further added, “As a player you feel sad that at this level you are being singled out for the fact that I stood up for myself. I have not done anything wrong standing up for myself. And I have not done anything wrong in reaching out to the board because I am under the board. I have not gone to the media. I reached out to them .”

The former coach Powar had also alleged that Raj was threatening to retire. “Honestly, I wouldn’t even want to justify to someone who’s termed me as a selfish player. Till date, in 20 years of my career, I have played under numerous coaches. Did anyone come out and say that I was a pain in the a**e? Nobody! So, why should I even try to justify? After so many years of playing for country, if I was that bad then probably I wouldn’t have played for so long,” she explained.

If I wanted to make it very dirty, I could have made it. Because I have chats with me. But I have not come out with it because I see it as the sport is getting a very bad image. And that is why I kept quiet. - Mithali Raj

“There’s something that is right in me that I continued to play for so long. He’s pretty much accused me commitment for country. A coach is telling to not come out of the dressing room, have you ever seen or heard that before? If I wanted to make it very dirty, I could have made it. Because I have chats with me. But I have not come out with it because I see it as the sport is getting a very bad image. And that is why I kept quiet,” Raj added.

"But to unfairly pinpoint at the only thing you can pinpoint in my whole batting analysis then I can pick out numerous players in this current Indian team and I can question you. But why is it that only I am being questioned?,” Raj asked

Raj, the first woman in history to play 200 ODIs, said, “I’m not saying the fact that I am the best T20 player. No! I know where I stand. But to unfairly pinpoint at the only thing you can pinpoint in my whole batting analysis then I can pick out numerous players in this current Indian team and I can question you. But why is it that only I am being questioned?”

Feature Picture: gopixpic.com

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