Hyderabad: The political gamesmanship going on in the corridors of power within the HCA is assuming epic proportions thereby taking the focus off the game and into the realms of courtroom conflicts and street-level polemics.
The tussle for power between HCA President Mohammed Azharuddin and his rivals is grabbing more media headlines than ever before. When Azharuddin had assumed charge as the President, there were hopes that a glorious phase of Hyderabad cricket was about to begin. Instead, it is political wrangling that has seen a virulent upsurge.
Political upheavals within the HCA are not new. Similar incidents and stand-offs have happened before. But never have they gone on for such an extended period. The longer this lasts, the more damage the game will suffer. The tussle has already dragged on interminably. If this situation continues, talented young cricketers will migrate to other cities to seek better avenues.
Fans will suffer too. We all know what happened to ticket seekers before the last international match a few months ago. The police lathi charge on hapless fans, and the chaos and confusion that followed, painted a picture of utter inefficiency and total mismanagement by the ruling coterie in HCA.
There were numerous allegations of black marketing of tickets. The whole episode brought outright shame to Hyderabad. “Other cities are streamlining the ticket-buying process. But in Hyderabad we are going backwards,” said a disgruntled fan who had been injured.
The adamant President is now facing a raging revolt from his flock. The majority of members have decided to conduct elections in the month of January with the objective of electing new office bearers and thereby bringing more transparency into the functioning of the HCA. There are many experienced and respected names in the rival group and the fact that they have accused Azharuddin of adopting a dictatorial attitude has put renewed focus on the sorry state of affairs.
Former HCA secretary Shivlal Yadav and former president Arshad Ayub and G. Vinod were among the 172 members who conducted the special general body meeting recently. They explained to the media that Azharuddin could not claim to be the President of the HCA any longer as his term had expired. Therefore they unanimously decided to conduct the elections for the new body in January 2023.
The Supreme Court in its order of August 22, 2022 had appointed a supervisory committee of four members, with clear directions that “all decisions of the Apex Council and the general body are to be placed before the supervisory committee for ratification,” the order stated.
But even the functioning of the Supervisory Committee has been questioned by its member Justice Nisar Ahmad Kakru. So that matter too has been hit by controversy. Meanwhile, the HCA’s never-ending problems are being exploited by vested interests. Allegations of bribery and corruption in the selection of teams are rampant.
Justice Kakru submitted a damning 21-page report in which he clearly outlined all that was wrong with the HCA and the supervisory committee too. Justice Kakru also ruled that Azharuddin had ceased to be President of the HCA as his term had come to an end on September 26, 2022.
Now what remains to be seen is how the HCA imbroglio will pan out in the months to come. Will the elections be conducted smoothly in January 2023? The group that is opposing Azharuddin is confident that matters will be resolved and the good name of HCA will be restored. At one time, the HCA used to be a shining example for other state bodies. Sadly, that is not the case anymore. Hyderabad has become a laughing stock throughout the country. But cricket lovers are hopeful that the year 2023 will see a new dawn in the affairs of Hyderabad cricket. We must wait and watch.
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