Bhupathi to be next non-playing Davis Cup captain

The tie against New Zealand will be Anand Amritraj’s last tie as non-playing captain as AITA wants to give him a “farewell”. Multiple Grand Slam winner Bhupathi was the hot favourite the moment AITA decided to replace Amritraj. “Everybody should get a chance to be captain. No post stays with one person forever. I personally spoke to Mahesh and asked if he is available, he said ‘Yes’. That was it. Also we wanted Anand to be given a farewell tie,” AITA Secretary General Hiranmoy Chatterjee told reporters here. Asked if Amritraj is happy with the decision, Chatterjee tersely replied: “No one wants to go. But everyone deserves a chance to be the captain.” Asked if players were taken into confidence since they had rallied around Amritraj, Chatterjee replied: “It’s not their prerogative. We don’t need to consult the players. Even Leander Paes was not consulted.”