Mohammad Azharuddin heartbroken after Hyderabad stadium move

Dubai: Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has lashed out at the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) after being stripped of a personal honour at the city’s premier cricket stadium.

Azharuddin, who served as HCA president from 2019 to 2023, said he was “heartbroken” by the Ombudsman’s directive to remove his name from the North Stand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

“It pains me deeply to say this, but I sometimes regret having played cricket,” he told IANS. “It’s heartbreaking to see individuals with little to no understanding of the game now in positions to teach and lead. It’s a complete disgrace to the sport.”

The former India captain said he would pursue legal action and called on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to intervene in what he described as a larger pattern of mismanagement within the HCA.

“I am determined to pursue legal action against this injustice, and I urge the BCCI to intervene and take appropriate action. This issue isn’t isolated — Sunrisers Hyderabad also had a dispute with the association over passes, highlighting a pattern of conflict and poor governance.”

“What’s unfolding is beyond comprehension, and it hurts me on a personal level,” he added. “I was not allowed to contest the HCA elections simply because I exposed the corruption within the system. That truth made me a target.”

The decision to remove Azharuddin’s name was taken by Justice (Retd) V. Eswaraiah, the HCA’s ethics officer, following a petition from the Lords Cricket Club — a member unit of the state body.

The petition alleged that Azharuddin had misused his position as HCA president by pushing through a resolution in December 2019 — just a month after taking office — to name the North Stand after himself. As per the HCA constitution, such a move required ratification by the General Body, which the petition claimed was bypassed.

Azharuddin’s removal from the stand comes amid ongoing turbulence in the HCA, where infighting and allegations of administrative misconduct have repeatedly grabbed headlines.