Chaos ensued at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad after former Indian cricket team captain Md Azharuddin was barred from attending a Special General Meeting (SGM) convened by the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).
Azharuddin was reportedly made to wait outside the stadium for over an hour before being permitted entry to the SGM, which was convened to adopt the recommendations of the Justice Lodha Committee.
Venting his anger, Azhar said, “I was made to wait for an hour and wasn’t allowed to attend the meeting. I captained India for 10 years, for god’s sake. I will solve your problems, that’s why I have come here.”
“They have committed blunders after blunders. The body itself is illegal according to the Lodha Committee. The Association cannot be run on whims and fancies. Rules and regulations have to be followed,” Azharuddin had told mediapersons before the meeting.
According to the Times of India, members protested against President Dr G Vivekanand’s decision to bar Azharuddin. After a verbal shouting match, former MP V Hanumantha Rao resorted to a sit-in protest in front of the stage and also took potshots at the TRS government, of which Vivekanand is a member. Hanumantha Rao was representing the Amberpet Cricket Club.
Azharuddin was allowed inside after former BCCI interim president and test player N Shivlal Yadav and other members intervened.
“When there was a ban, I did not enter HCA and since BCCI has cleared me, you cannot stop me from attending the meeting,” Azharuddin said.
“I am grateful to all the members, including Shiv (Shivlal Yadav) bhai and VHR sir, who supported my cause today and saw to it that I eventually attended the meeting and made a point,” he added.
Calling the system ‘riddled with flaws’, Azharuddin said that cricket is different from politics but cricketers suffered the most. “My fight is not against any individual,” he said.
The meeting’s agenda was also allegedly not fulfilled, according to sources quoted by the Times of India. According to TOI, the president walked out as most members did not raise their hands in favour of adopting the reforms. The members also demanded that fresh elections be held.
“No one can question my loyalty to Hyderabad and to HCA,” Azharuddin said.
Lashing out at the office-bearers, Azharuddin said, “Everything in HCA has become undemocratic. We are making efforts to clean up the mess. Many leagues are stopped abruptly without reason.”
This sentiment was also echoed by Shivlal, who said that the matter would be taken up by the higher authorities of the BCCI.