Date-stamped : 31 May96 - 10:16 30 May 1996 Former team-mates blame `Azhar` for Sidhu`s woes NEW DELHI, Wednesday - Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin received a verbal lashing from two former team-mates Wednesday following Navjot Sidhu`s unprecedented walkout from the ongoing tour of England. All-rounder Manoj Prabhakar and veteran batsman Dilip Vengsarkar blamed Azharuddin for forcing Sidhu, the team`s longest-serving cricketer, into quitting the tour and announcing his retirement. Sidhu, 32, who made his international debut in 1983, said Monday that he did not want to be part of the team after being dropped for the final one-day international against England at Old Traf- ford. Prabhakar, who himself quit the game in March after being omitted for two tournaments and the England tour, said the ``manipula- tions`` of the Indian skipper were ruining the team. He accused Azharuddin of trying to ``eliminate`` all those who could threaten his position as captain, and cited the examples of world bowling record-holder Kapil Dev, Sidhu and himself. ``My suspicion is that the next target will be Sanjay Manjrekar``, Prabhakar said, adding that he was not surprised that the affable and soft-spoken Sidhu had decided to quit. ``He had been treated very shabbily in the past, dropped on the pretext of injury when he himself said he was fit. Many times he told me he was disgusted with the team management,`` Prabhakar said. During New Zealand`s tour of India last year, Azharuddin and the then manager Ajit Wadekar issued contradictory statements on Sidhu`s fitness after he was dropped for the test series. ``It is obvious Azharuddin should be removed if Indian cricket is to pick up again``, said Prabhakar, who took to politics after retirement and contested the recent parliamentary elections. ``A captain who does not command the respect of his players and does not have their confidence does not deserve the post. ``He never mixes with the players ... Azharuddin is not a leader of men,`` Prabhakar said. Vengsarkar, Azharuddin`s former test captain, chose to include team manager Sandeep Patil in his criticism. ``Sidhu`s drastic decision amounts to failure on the part of the team management to tactfully handle a key player. It is obvious a senior player like Sidhu felt betrayed by The Management,`` Veng- sarkar said. Indian cricket officials, meanwhile, were holding long-distance consultations with Patil and Azharuddin over Sidhu`s walkout amidst mounting media criticism of the team`s defeat in the one- day series. ``We are concerned at what is happening over there``, a senior official told AFP Wednesday. ``We are talking to the team manage- ment. It is important to settle things quickly``. The official held out little hope of trying to convince Sidhu to change his mind and continue the tour. ``It seems he is deter- mined, but we will do our best to ensure he is not lost to Indian cricket``. Officials here have also taken note of media reports that the tour management had allowed players` wives, including Azharuddin`s film actress friend Sangeeta Bijlani, to travel in the team bus. The 33-year-old Azharuddin`s affair with Bijlani attracted media attention during the World Cup in February-March when he an- nounced he was divorcing wife Naureen. Source :: Daily News (http.//www.lanka.net) Contributed by Shash (shs2@*.cwru.edu)