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Teammates up in arms against Paes

Special Correspondent

New Delhi: Leander Paes may be a Davis Cup hero for India, compiling an imposing 81-30 record, but his role as the captain of the team has come under fire from his teammates. Rohan Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj — who have moral support from Mahesh Bhupathi — have expressed their displeasure at the methods of their captain, in a communication to the All India Tennis Association.

They have stated categorically that they would not play in the Davis Cup tie against Japan in April if Paes were to be captain.

Losing faith

The two players, busy on the professional circuit in the US at the moment, have said that they have lost faith in Paes’s leadership qualities.

Confirming the receipt of the communication from the players concerned, the AITA secretary general, Anil Khanna, has said that the matter would be discussed by the Executive Committee shortly, as it was far too complicated to be left just to the Selection Committee.

“We will take the best decision, keeping in mind the larger interest of Indian tennis,” said Anil Khanna.

Amritraj had been upset about not being chosen to play on the opening day of the Davis Cup tie against Uzbekistan in Delhi earlier this month, because he was reportedly down with a stomach ailment. But, a newspaper had quoted him as saying that he had been a 100 per cent fit to play.

Following that, Paes had publicly questioned his professionalism, suggesting that it was after a party that Amritraj had attended in the days leading up to the tie that he had taken ill and eventually lost two days of training with an upset stomach.

Amritraj, on his part, clarified that he had contracted the stomach ailment not immediately after the party but only a couple of days later.

Paes had claimed that he had thrashed out the issue with Amritraj before the latter played the hero’s role in the live fifth rubber against Uzbekistan. After the 3-2 win, the captain had even said that the one thing that his players were taking forward was team unity — ironical, considering the latest developments.

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