'I was forced to resign'

NAGPUR: Kiran Powar, ex-Vidarbha Under-19 coach and former Mumbai allrounder, is gutted by the way he was treated by the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) officials. Three days after TOI broke the story that Powar, brother of ex-India off-spinner Ramesh Powar, resigned from the coach's post, the 38-year-old says he was asked to put in his papers by VCA officials.
"First of all, let me be clear that I didn't want to go public on this issue but I feel people should know my side of the story as well. I was asked to resign as I wasn't happy with the selection of a player. I don't want to name him as it would put unnecessary pressure on him, but I had better options than that player. He wasn't fitting in the team due to his average fielding and fitness. I was very clear on that. I understand that giving 15 players is the selectors' job but to choose playing eleven is my call. Nobody can pressurize me on that part," Powar told TOI on Sunday.
"I enjoyed my stint with Vidarbha U-19 earlier. I loved helping the boys and that's the reason I came to Nagpur again, otherwise I have a settled business at Mumbai. I was trying to get in touch with top VCA officials and CADC chairman on this issue but I wasn't allowed to meet them. I wasn't trying to save my job. It was only to tell them what happened and what I wanted," he said.
Powar said he felt bad leaving the team in the midst of the season. "We have worked so hard for the last few months and not to be with the boys at this time is hurting me but I had no options. I want to say sorry to them. Whatever I was doing was for the betterment of the team. I didn't have any personal agenda," Powar added.
Powar also said that he wasn't treated with respect by administrative people in the VCA set up. "One of the administrative staff verbally abused me in front of academy staff and boys. I didn't deserve that treatment," he said.
VCA president Prakash Dixit, on the other hand, refuted Powar's charge. "I don't think he was ever pressurized to include or exclude anyone. The selectors are final authority. We have selectors who have played at good level and understand the potential of the boys. It's the selectors' job to pick the team. Kiran should have respected that. Coach can always give his opinion but the selectors' call is always final," Dixit said.
"We also had some issues with him which I don't want to discuss in public. Kiran was indisciplined. He had an attitude problem and was duly warned about that. Secondly, I am always approachable to everyone. He called me when I was at a programme so I couldn't respond to his call at that time. I called him back but he didn't pick the call. He certainly wasn't forced to resign. He wasn't willing to work within the framework of the system and that's why he resigned," Dixit said.