![Ambati Rayudu](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 594 396"></svg>)
Controversies surrounding the talented Hyderabad and former Indian batsman Ambati Rayudu seem to be unending. Rayudu's fiery twitter antics seem to be a faint reflection of his composure on the ground. In recent happenings, Rayudu took to Twitter to showcase his anger and frustration at the 'rampant' corruption and politics in the Hyderabad Cricket Association presently. He later announced his withdrawal from the Hyderabad Ranji team due to the aforementioned reason and won't feature in the tournament scheduled to start from December 9.
But his inexplicable behaviour off the pitch and venting out on important matters on Twitter has come to the forefront again. In the tweet, he seemed to request KT Rama Rao, Telangana's Municipal Administration, and Urban Development Minister, to have a closer look at the influence of corruption and politics prevalent in the selection of Ranji team and other incidents involving the HCA.
The current HCA president, Mohammad Azharuddin, responded to the viral tweet stating that the former Indian batsman was a 'frustrated cricketer'.
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Responding to Azharuddin's comments, Rayudu tweeted again, stating that his allegations were against an organization and should not be construed as personal. Instead, he urged the HCA president to look into the matter and provide a better environment for the upcoming generation of Hyderabad cricketers.
In an interview with Telangana Today, Rayudu spoke honestly about the corrupt practices and how he was given false promises by the newly-elected President to clean up HCA. He said:
"In all honesty, I was looking forward to play for Hyderabad in Ranji Trophy this season. But unfortunately, the script did not go on the expected lines. There is a lot of politics in the team and the atmosphere was not conducive for good cricket. I felt very uncomfortable."
"I did have a talk with the president. He always said he was trying his best. But it never happened... I feel he should have initiated stronger measures but he did not do that. I feel there were more election promises and as a result, the game suffered."
Speaking about the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Rayudu revealed how his hands were tied while putting up a strong side due to the presence of certain players who were deemed as 'untouchables' because of their political backing. Rayudu said:
"It hurt me a lot. A few players, who did not deserve to be in the team, were included in the team because of the election promises. If this happens, how can a team improve? My hands were tight (sic) for the playing eleven when it came to few players and they were untouchable during the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament."
"If you look at the team, some of the players are selected because of the influence of some club secretaries. Sometimes, merit takes a back seat. This is unfortunate. Rich, influential and politicians' children get preferences in Hyderabad teams. This is a true fact. We have to stop this buck. Since someone had to speak out, I thought I should do this. This is how bad the system has become in HCA."
A disastrous year professionally saw him lose his place in the Indian side and then also failed to make the squad for the ICC World Cup 2019 in England and Wales. After his controversial '3-D glasses' tweet on his exclusion from the 2019 WC squad by the selectors, Rayudu announced his retirement from all forms of cricket mid-way during the WC. However, he soon made a U-turn from his retirement decision and decided to play for Hyderabad in the domestic trophies, with an eye on IPL next year.
After his return from retirement, he played seven matches in the Vijay Hazare trophy and scored 233 runs at an average of 38.83, ending as the second-highest run-getter of the tournament.
Published 26 Nov 2019, 19:12 IST