Hyderabad: Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president Mohammad Azharuddin on Wednesday landed in yet another controversy with other officials raising questions about the former Indian captain’s patronage of a cricket club in Abu Dhabi.
HCA secretary R. Vijayanand, vice president John Manoj and treasurer Surendra Agarwal, in a joint press statement, questioned Azhar’s action, which they alleged was “never shared with either the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or the HCA.”
The Northern Warriors, a private cricket team from Abu Dhabi, signed Azhar as their adviser earlier this year in January. The team announced in its official Twitter handle war @nwarriorst10 that “stylish and skilled @azharflicks, former captain of Team India, will be sponsoring the Northern Warriors in the fourth edition of the Abu Dhabi 10 T10 League.”
Northern Warriors also posted a video on their Twitter account saying, he was extremely proud to share that Azharuddin would be mentoring the Northern Warriors team.
As per the board of control for cricket in India (BCCI) no office bearer of the BCCI or its affiliated bodies should engage themselves with private bodies, endorse them, solicit advertisements or use their credibility for events not recognized by either the BCCI or the International Cricket Council (ICC).
HCA officials and legal experts pointed out that Azhar’s new responsibility would attract conflict of interest provisions, Deccan Chronicle reported.
“Instead of focusing on cricket in Hyderabad, did you choose to be a monitor in a private team in Dubai (in a T10 tournament) without sharing any information with HCA or BCCI?” HCA members asked Azhar.
They recalled that the former Indian captain had not even signed the Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) to date but he was involved in mischievous acts of making appointments, making statements to the media and writing letters to banks, with reference to AGM.
Members of the Apex Council have accused Azhar of “systematically destroying the fabric of the HCA so that your junta can govern.”
“However, we will not allow your undemocratic, authoritarian and destructive attitude and aptitude towards the Apex Council and the Association in general,” they said.
They also accused Azhar of issuing ID cards to outsiders to attend AGM meetings.
Members also accused Azhar of “subversive, crude and rude behaviour at the (divided) AGM on March 28 this year.” Then, “At the recent AGM-II (held on April 11) why did you run away instead of charging us? AGM-I and AGM-II rejected you outright.”
They also told Azhar: “The AGM has not endorsed you as the representative of HCA in the BCCI and your self-declaration and declaration is illegal, unconstitutional, immoral, unsatisfactory. It is forgiving and illegal. “
Officials also claimed that they proceeded without a statement at the November meeting because they did not respond to requests for a meeting.
