India women's cricket team head coach Ramesh Powar yesterday hit back sharply at Mithali Raj's accusations that the former India off-spinner was out to destroy her career and humiliate her. Powar in his report, accessed by mid-day, which was submitted to BCCI CEO Rahul Johri and General Manager Syed Saba Karim yesterday, has claimed that Raj threatened to leave for home from the World T20 in the Caribbean if she was not allowed to open the innings against Pakistan. Powar also accused Raj, the highest run-getter for India in T20Is, of lack of intent, playing for personal milestones and putting self interest before the team's goal. "Before the Pakistan match, video analyst Pushkar Sawant came to my room with the news that fielding coach Biju George conveyed to him that Mithali is upset about not changing the batting order and not allowing her to open against Pakistan.

Mithali threatens to leave
"She has packed her bags to leave with announcement of retirement in the morning. I was shell-shocked. The team had just beaten one of the top teams [New Zealand] and Mithali Raj, a legend, is still complaining about her batting position which she had agreed upon and threatening to leave. "I was saddened and baffled by her attitude. It gave me an impression that for Mithali, she comes first and then Team India. I called team manager [Trupti Bhattacharya] early in the morning and discussed the issue. I did not convey this to the captain [Harmanpreet Kaur] and vice-captain [Smriti Mandhana] as I didn't want them to lose their focus of the most important match. During breakfast on the match day, I told Harman & Smriti that we will open with Mithali and they agreed. We opened with Mithali due to pressure from the travelling selector and Mithali's threatening behaviour to go back home if not given a chance to open the innings," Powar said.