"Everyone consumed alcohol but still maligned my name" - Praveen Kumar claims a senior player ruined his image

Former India pacer Praveen Kumar recently claimed there was a senior player who "ruined" his image during his time with the national team. While he did not name anyone, Praveen suggested that a certain individual maligned him due to his alcohol-drinking habits.

The pacer also said he was not the only one who consumed alcohol and that there were a lot of other players who did the same.

Speaking about how he was singled out when it came to alcohol, Praveen Kumar said during an interview with The Lallantop:

"When I joined the Indian team, a few senior players asked me to stop drinking and avoid a few other things. However, everyone consumed alcohol but still maligned my name. While many senior players treated us youngsters very well, there was someone who spread negativity around my name. I don't want to name that person on camera, but everybody knows who ruined my image."

Praveen Kumar also expressed his displeasure over not getting a coaching stint with any of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises or Uttar Pradesh's domestic team, supposedly because of his image of being an alcoholic.

"In 2018, I had expected that one of the IPL franchises would sign me as a bowling coach," he said. "Forget that; even my own Uttar Pradesh team did not call me to work with the Ranji team. The only reason they had was that I used to drink alcohol. But did I drink on the ground or open the bottle in the dressing room?"

The 37-year-old further mentioned that he went into depression during that phase of his life. He added that he spent a few days in Haridwar, which helped him recover.

"I went into depression. I used to stare at the fan for close to five hours. I was very disheartened to see that nobody was calling me, even after achieving so many things in my career. I went to Haridwar for a few days," Praveen said.

Praveen Kumar last featured in the IPL in 2017, where he represented the now-defunct Gujarat Lions. He went unsold in the subsequent auction, which led to his retirement in 2018.

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"I was not involved in that" - Praveen Kumar on allegations of beating a doctor in 2008

Praveen Kumar was involved in a controversy in 2008 after a Meerut-based doctor alleged that the cricketer man-handled him. Denying those allegations, Praveen stated that he did not beat anyone but his friends beat up the doctor following an argument.

"My brother and I had gone to purchase a weapon," he said. "It was raining that day. When we exited the shop after collecting the revolver, a Wagon R approached us. There was a pothole, and I signalled for the driver to slow down."

"However, he did not slow down, leaving us drenched with that water. When I told him he should have slowed down, he replied by saying it was very common in Meerut. I left from there, but a few of my friends ended up beating him. I was not involved in that," he added.

During his prime, Praveen Kumar was considered one of the greatest exponents of swing bowling in the country. He finished his career with 112 wickets across formats in international cricket.