Hyderabad: Former Indian cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin has been disqualified from contesting the Hyderabad Cricket Academy (HCA) elections on grounds of violation of terms.
Azharuddin’s disqualification was based on the decision made by a committee constituted by the Supreme Court, and headed by Justice Lau Nageshwar Rao, for handling HCA’s affairs. The committee was formed after reports of brewing differences surfaced between the Azharuddin, who was the president of HCA, and its working members.
Azharuddin was elected president of the association in the last election held in September 2019. His tenure ended a year later. However, he continued to hold the position until Supreme Court appointed a single-member panel to look into the issue.
Former Supreme Court judge Justice L Nageswara Rao removed the former cricketer from the list of voters for HCA polls scheduled this month on the grounds of conflict of interest as he was president of the Deccan Blues Cricket Club while serving as the president of HCA till early this year.
Nageswara Rao wrote to Azharuddin that he was removed from the voter list on the basis of the order passed by him on July 31, 2023.
“According to the order dated 31-07-2023, all the executive committee members of clubs in which a person/his family members are involved in the management of multiple clubs have been disqualified to either vote/contest in the ensuing elections to the HCA for one term or a period of three years, whichever is greater.
“As you are the President of Deccan Blue Cricket Club according to the information received by the Single Member Committee, you have been disqualified and not included in the voter’s list,” reads the letter.
The letter mentions that on September 30, 2022, the supervisory committee appointed by the Supreme Court had asked Azharuddin to collect information relating to the details of all registered clubs which are members of the HCA.
In the letter dated October 10, 2022 sent by Deccan Blues Cricket Club secretary P.R. Man Singh, Azharuddin was shown as president of the Deccan Blues Cricket Club.
HCA elections are scheduled to be held on October 20. Electoral officer V.S. Sampath issued the notification on September 30 for the elections for the posts of president, vice-president, secretary, joint secretary, treasurer and councilor.
The elections were supposed to be held in September 2022 but was postponed due to court cases.
(With inputs from agencies)
