In a chilling revelation, Ambati Rayudu has shared a distressing account of how his cricket career was jeopardised by a former official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Despite showcasing remarkable talent and making significant progress for Andhra Pradesh, Rayudu's path to representing India was deliberately hindered, all thanks to an unsettling agenda orchestrated by Shivlal Yadav, an ex-Indian cricketer and former BCCI supremo.
Plot to tarnish Rayudu's career
The intricate web of this tale involves Shivlal's son, Arjun, who happened to be Rayudu's teammate in the Andhra team. As Rayudu's performances outshined Arjun's, it became a stumbling block for the latter's aspiration of donning the Indian jersey. Consequently, a sinister plot unfolded to tarnish Rayudu's career and delay his long-awaited debut for the national team, despite him being regarded as one of the most promising young talents in the country.
Rayudu also shed light on the mistreatment he endured, and the abysmal condition of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). The appalling treatment he faced further highlighted the dark underbelly of the cricket administration, where personal agendas and nepotism appeared to overshadow the meritocracy and fair play that should ideally prevail.
"Politics started from my childhood in the Hyderabad Cricket Association. Arjun Yadav, son of Shivlal Yadav, was harassed with the intention of playing for Team India. As I was playing better than Arjun Yadav, they tried to remove me.
"Still I am only 17 years old. Arjun Yadav wanted to be selected for Team India soon. It was not because of him that he played for India. What do we do about it? Cancer started in my childhood in HCA. Now it has reached the fourth stage. The situation will change only if BCCI intervenes. Otherwise no one can repair HCA," said Rayudu on TV9 News Telugu.
"I played brilliantly for India-A in 2003-04. But in 2004, the selection committee changed and Shivalal Yadav's close friends joined the panel, so I didn't get a chance. It was also wrong to ask why I was not selected. They prevented anyone from talking to me for four years. The day before the match, Shivlal Yadav's younger brother used to come drunk and swear at banda bootuli in front of the house. They tried to hurt me mentally," Rayudu added.
Ambati Rayudu decided to switch allegiances from Hyderabad to Andhra in 2005. It was during the subsequent 2005–06 season that a highly controversial incident unfolded, etching a notorious chapter in Rayudu and Arjun's cricketing journey. The incident took place during a fiercely contested Ranji Trophy match between the two teams.
