India’s former Davis Cup skipper Mahesh Bhupathi on Thursday said he cannot get over the “hurt” caused by All India Tennis Association’s manner of sacking him.
Bhupathi was removed from the captain’s position for refusing to travel to Pakistan for a Davis Cup tie on security grounds. The tie is now being held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, from Friday.
“I am still in touch with the boys on a daily basis. I was disappointed with the way the Federation dealt with it. When they wanted me to become captain, they flew down to Hyderabad, had a meeting with me,” Bhupathi recalled on the sidelines of an event here.
“I don’t mind if they think that it is time for me to step out, but a courtesy phone call saying ‘listen we think it is time to put someone new in the system’ and I would have respected that but I didn’t even get that call.”
“Honestly the way the federation has dealt with not only me but everyone in Indian tennis for the last 20 years, there is no surprise. But at some level it kind of hurts,” he added.
Bhupathi said he agreed to the job as he had a vision for Indian tennis.
Easy outing
Talking about the tie against Pakistan, Bhupathi said India would win without much trouble.
“It will be absolutely not difficult for them (Indian) to beat Pakistan anywhere in this world…we were always going to beat Pakistan regardless of where we played and who played for Pakistan,” he said.
