Don't have a say in Davis Cup selection: Bhupathi

KOLKATA: Mahesh Bhupathi won on debut as Davis Cup captain when India beat Uzbekistan 4-1 in Bengaluru last month. But the Asia-Oceania Group 1 tie left a bitter taste in the mouth with Leander Paes accusing Bhupathi of flouting selection norms by dropping him from the playing four and the captain hitting back after the tie by releasing personal Whatsapp exchanges and saying that he had no personal agenda against his former partner.
In the city for a book launch programme on Tuesday, Bhupathi spoke to TOI on the challenge ahead and also on his latest controversy with Paes. Following are excerpts:
We have a chance of getting back to the World Group if we beat Canada in Canada. Have you started thinking about how you will prepare for it?
I've put in a request with the AITA that we go there a week in advance and train.
Given that we could be playing indoors, will it be a disadvantage for the Indian team? Will they choose an indoor arena?
I've heard different from people in Canada. But no point in speculating. Let's wait and see what they announce. The fact is that the boys are used to playing indoors at the start and end of every year. So adjusting L there won't be a problem. L there won't be a problem.
Given what transpired during the tie against Uzbekistan, will you do anything differently when it comes to team selection for the tie vs Canada?
I will have to go with the team given to me by the selection committee. Again, there's no point speculating at this point. There's a lot of tennis to be played between now and September. There are two Grand Slams and many other tournaments before the team is selected. We'll see how it goes.
Last time, two senior doubles players Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna were named among the reserves. Won't it be better if one of them is named in the team rather than keeping both on tenterhooks till the day before the tie?
I don't even know how many reserves I'll get for the away tie. In my first conversation with the AITA I was told that I'll get zero reserves. I said, I need two... I'm hoping they'll accommodate and give me one. So, until I know the composition of the team, I can't think of a policy. But the more players I have in Canada to choose from, the better for me. Because players are injury prone and they will all be coming into the tie after a brutal summer of tennis.
But the captain surely has some say on the players he wants?
You think so? No, I don't have a say in team selection. Once the selection committee gives me a team, I can make the choices for singles and doubles.
A specific question on Leander. He'll be 44 next month but wants to continue for a couple of years more and is playing Challengers to improve his ranking. Would you encourage him to keep pushing for a Davis Cup berth?
I'm no one to encourage anyone to keep playing or tell him to stop. All I can say is that someone who has been playing professional tennis for 25 years knows his body and ability best. No one should be pointing a finger at Leander... Daniel Nestor is a year older than Leander and he's still playing. So everybody has a time and place, it's not my or your job to tell them what to do.
Do you think Leander deserves respect because of his seniority?
(Interrupting) Let's not make this into a Leander-based interview. The Davis Cup is not just about Leander Paes, there are six or seven players in the team.
Are you saying, as long as he is playing, he'll be in the mix for Davis Cup, irrespective of what happened in Bengaluru?
Of course, any professional playing tennis is in the mix for Davis Cup. After all, we need to put our best team out there.
'None will replicate what Lee has achieved'
Kolkata: It was open house during a book launch function at a city hotel. And when one of the guests happened to be Mahesh Bhupathi, how could he avoid a question on his bitter-sweet equation with Leander Paes? India's Davis Cup captain was, however, well prepared. "We gave it our best shot and tried to get back together several times... at the Olympics, on Tour, in Davis Cup. Unfortunately, it (partnership) didn't work out longer. But what we achieved together between 1996 and 2002 will never be replicated," said the 42-year-old Bhupathi, who won three Grand Slam titles and 23 ATP Tour meets with the man who is a year older. "I'm a little disappointed that a picture of the two of us isn't there in the sports museum I visited here today. There should be one for sure."