'Attempt to Malign my Image', Says Chairman of Selectors Purnima Rau After Being Named in Complaint – News18

The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) on Friday ‘fired’ the women’s head coach Vidyuth Jaiasimha for allegedly consuming alcohol in the team bus and misbehaving with women cricket players, based on a complaint HCA received yesterday from parents and relatives of the said cricketers. The video of the same has also surfaced and has been broadcast across various news channels.

The complaint, along with Jaisimha, also names HCA chairman of selectors Purnima Rau, former Indian international and national women’s team coach, as “instrumental in making the young girls drink”. However, Rau has denied the allegations stating that the the complaint has been filed to malign her image. Rau had taken over as the chairman of selectors recently and she alleges that a few decisions she took about player selections have not gone down well with certain people, and hence the complaint.

“I was made the Chairman of selectors this year to sort out the mess and I took a few hard decisions that have not gone down well with certain people hence this complaint,” Rau told News18 Cricketnext. “God knows I have not done anything wrong and I was doing my job. I selected the right players and I have done only that. This complaint is just to malign my image. I was away from cricket for a while and I was asked to come and get things right on track here and I have done only that”

CricketNext has reliably learnt that a few women cricketers, including kins of former office bearers at the HCA, who were part of the women’s team for the past few years had been dropped due to non-performance by the Rau-led selection panel.

Reacting to the allegations against Jaisimha, Rau said, “It is a matter that would need an inquiry. I used to travel with the team to the ground and then back to the hotel. That’s it. I do not have anything more to add to this.”

When contacted by News18 CricketNext, Jaisimha said he “will share his response soon”.

After the complaint surfaced, HCA president Arshanapally Jagan Mohan Rao said in a statement, “This is a matter of serious concern and I have asked for a thorough investigation to be done into this matter and a decision will be made based on the outcome of the investigation”.

“Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) women’s team head coach Vidyuth Jayasimha has been relieved of his coaching duties with immediate effect,” the release further added.