AITA saying I am fired for refusing national duty is unacceptable to me: Bhupathi

Mahesh Bhupathi says he does not mind being fired as the Indian Davis Cup team's captain but what is unacceptable to him is the tennis federation's allegation that he refused national duty.

Bhupathi, one of the most successful players in India's tennis history, insisted that he never made himself unavailable for the Pakistan tie, which has now been shifted out of Islamabad by the ITF due to security concerns.

The All India Tennis Association (AITA) chose former Davis Cupper Rohit Rajpal as Bhupathi's successor.

"I am not going to sit back after winning 12 Grand Slams and playing for country for 25 years to allow someone to say I am fired because I did not show up for national duty," a fuming Bhupathi told PTI in an exclusive interview.

"I don't mind being fired. They can say it's time for a new captain. But nobody can say that I refused national duty. I genuinely thought it's unsafe to travel to Pakistan which the ITF has validated. So, they are going to penalise me and players for ...