Not surprised by how AITA dealt with me but it hurts: Bhupathi

India's former Davis Cup skipper Mahesh Bhupathi on Thursday said he cannot get over the "hurt" caused by the national federation's manner of sacking him but it was hardly a surprise given how the body has dealt with players in the last two decades.

Bhupathi was removed from the captain's position by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) for refusing to travel to Pakistan for a Davis Cup tie on security grounds. The tie is nw being be held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan starting 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 ...