"It's the darkest day of my life": Mithali Raj responds to Ramesh Powar's report

Indian veteran cricket player Mithali Raj on Thursday responded to scathing accusations from coach Ramesh Powar in a report submitted to BCCI, saying that all his hard work during his career had been in vain. Powar, in his report to BCCI General Manager Rahul Johri and Cricket Operations Director Saba Karim, accused the drummer of "blackmail" and "coaching pressure".

"I am deeply saddened and hurt by the criticisms inflicted on me. My commitment to the game and my 20 years of playing for my country. Hard work, sweat, to no avail, "Raj wrote in a tweet.

The cricket player stated that it was the darkest day of his life. "Today, my patriotism has doubted, my skill set has been questioned and all the mud rising – it's the darkest day of my life. May God give strength, "she said.

I am deeply saddened and hurt by the criticisms inflicted on me. My commitment to the game and my 20 years of playing for my country. Hard work, sweat, in vain.
Today, my patriotism has doubted, my skill set has been questioned and all the mud rising – it's the darkest day of my life. May god give strength

– Mithali Raj (@ M_Raj03) November 29, 2018

In the 10-page report sent Thursday to BCCI officials, head coach of the Indo-Women Powar team accused Raj of not playing for the team and running after "his own milestones "at the recently concluded World T20 tournament.

"Mithali Raj – a senior player of the team. Minimum entries in team meetings are not a word of appreciation after finishing at the top of the table. Can not understand and adapt to the team plan. Ignored his role and beat for his own milestones. Failure to maintain the momentum that put additional pressure on the other hitter, "he wrote.

"His attitude saddened me and disconcerted me. It gave me the impression that for Mithali Raj, she came first, then to India. I called the team leader early in the morning to discuss the issue, "wrote the former Indian generalist in his report.

Earlier, Raj had accused Diana Edulji, former player of the BCCI board of directors, of bias after her retirement for the semifinal against England in the T20 of ICC World World. She had also criticized Powar for humiliating him.

In a letter to BCCI, she wrote: "To put things in perspective, I have always trusted Diana Edulji and I have always respected her, as well as her position as a member of the COA . I never thought that she would use her position against me anymore after learning all that I had to live in the Caribbean, as I had told her about it.

She also recounted a series of examples where she had felt offended by the coach. "My problems with the coach started right away when we landed in the West Indies. At first, there were small signs that his behavior towards me was unfair and discriminatory. For example, if I sit anywhere I look in the net when others are fighting but I choose to move away when I hit the net, if I'm not sure. 39, try to go see him to start looking in his phone and keep walking. It was embarrbading and very obvious to everyone that I was humiliated. Yet I have never lost my temper, "she said.