Veteran batswoman Mithali Raj has expressed displeasure over Indian women's team coach Ramesh Powar's accusations of putting her interest above the team's during the recently-concluded World T20, describing it as the darkest day of her life.
The 35-year-old batwoman, who is in the middle of a controversy after being dropped from the national squad for the crucial semi-final clash against England at the World T20, took to her official Twitter handle and said that she is 'hurt' and 'deeply saddened' by the negative image portrayed of her by Powar.
(Also read: Powar humiliated me, says Mithali)
Asserting that her patriotism is being doubted and her skills have been questioned, Mithali further said that all the hard work that she has put in the last 20 years have been in vain.
"I'm deeply saddened & hurt by the aspersions cast on me. My commitment to the game & 20yrs of playing for my country. The hard work, sweat, in vain," Mithali wrote on Twitter on Thursday.
"Today, my patriotism doubted, my skill set questioned & all the mudslinging- it's the darkest day of my life. May god give strength," she added.
I'm deeply saddened & hurt by the aspersions cast on me. My commitment to the game & 20yrs of playing for my country.The hard work, sweat, in vain.
Today, my patriotism doubted, my skill set questioned & all the mud slinging- it's the darkest day of my life. May god give strength— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) November 29, 2018
Mithali's comments came after Powar, in an official 10-page report to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), informed that the batwoman had threatened to leave during the World T20 and announce her retirement in West Indies if she was not allowed to open the batting against Pakistan.
The Indian women's cricket team coach further alleged that Mithali had minimum inputs during team meetings and that the former T20I skipper was unable to adapt to the plans and paid more attention to her personal goals rather than thinking about the side's overall achievement.
Earlier, Mithali's omission from the World T20 semi-final against England raised quite a few eyebrows after India's eight-wicket loss. She was dropped despite scoring back-to-back fifties in the group stage of the competition held in the West Indies. T20I captain Harmanpreet had, at the time, defended the decision and said that she had no regrets.
