Special Correspondent
The mood among Hyderabad’s young cricketers is turning from hopeful to hopeless. Frustration, disappointment, and a growing sense of betrayal now dominate conversations across academies and clubs. Despite commendable performances in leagues and trials, dozens of deserving players have been left out — replaced by those with money, influence, or connections.
Even more disheartening is the silence of those meant to restore integrity. Parents who once placed faith in the High Court–appointed Supervisory Committee headed by Justice Naveen Rao now say their complaints have gone unheard. The same brokers and fixers, they allege, have re-entered the system — running selections and committees like private fiefdoms.
“Justice Rao must know that we are losing faith,” said one parent of a talented U-23 player, requesting anonymity. “We had hoped the High Court’s intervention would end corruption. But now, even after complaints and evidence, the same officials are calling the shots.”
The current Under-23 team selection has become a flashpoint, with parents and players alleging large-scale manipulation by a powerful nexus involving former HCA Secretary John Manoj, Acting Secretary Basavaraju, and ex-cricketers Chamundi and Vanka Pratap. Notably, Pratap is also accused of influencing the inclusion of his daughter, Puja Vanka, in the state women’s team—her performance in the match against Tripura only reinforcing those doubts. The Telangana Cricket Association has lodged a formal complaint against Pratap to the CID, which is probing the issue of irregularities in HCA, describing him as one of the key architects of HCA’s decline. If nepotism ever needed a case study in the HCA, it lies in the family manipulations of Vanka Pratap and his wife, Roma Singh.
One of the parents also alleged that their son was not considered, as they keep raising their voice against discrepancies against the HCA apex council members, time and again.
According to multiple sources, the “new formula” inside the Hyderabad Cricket Association is not to play for the team, but pay to play. Overaged players have allegedly been cleared, banned players quietly reinstated, and underperformers picked over genuine talents.
Shockingly, the U-23 team was picked by some junior selectors instead of senior selectors — a violation of long-standing HCA practice. Some senior selection committee members have reportedly written to Justice Rao, questioning the move.
“Some of the selectors themselves have no credible cricketing background,” said a former player familiar with the process. “Selections are being made under a fake ‘talent’ tag. It’s a cartel of corruption where merit is buried deep under the weight of money.”
Several glaring examples expose the depth of rot in Hyderabad cricket’s selection process:
- A. Avanish Rao (wicketkeeper) — selected despite scoring three consecutive ducks in the probables and failing miserably in the Buchi Babu tournament.
- Sartak Bhardwaj — no notable league performances, yet finds a place in the squad.
- Chirag Yadav — previously flagged for age fraud, inexplicably back in the probables list.
- Shiva Padipalli, S. Dheeraj Goud, and R. Dinesh Rathod — all under the scanner for age irregularities.
- Karan Patnayak (wicketkeeper) — chosen despite dropping nearly ten catches and offering nothing in league cricket to justify his selection.
- Abhishek Murugan — banned last year- has approached the court for clearance; his case remains sub judice, yet his name surfaces again.
- Others like Aryan Cariappa, M. Sai Karthikeya, and Saketh Dhatrak were included without performance or merit-based justification.
It is also alleged that several players from Khalsa Cricket Club, owned by Acting President Sardar Daljit Singh, have found a place in various age-group teams, according to a parent who requested anonymity.
Meanwhile, genuine performers from district teams — the very backbone of Khelo India’s grassroots vision — find no place in the squads.
The BCCI treats violation of age norms as a major offence. Yet, the HCA’s truncated apex council appears to have brazenly ignored it. Players previously barred have been allowed back without BCCI clearance, in clear contempt of both cricketing protocol and judicial oversight.
While courts may have granted interim relief to a few, their orders also mandated that investigations continue — a clause the HCA has conveniently buried. Even its own circulars acknowledge the ongoing probes, but enforcement is missing.
The corruption isn’t confined to team selection. Players and parents allege widespread manipulation of match data — from score sheets not uploaded to apps, to selective updates in newspapers. Matches are being played on substandard grounds, schedules are erratic, and umpiring decisions are allegedly tilted in favour of “recommended” players.
“The system is collapsing,” said another parent. “Every complaint we file ends up buried. Justice Rao’s office must act — not just listen.”
The e-paper’s mailbox has been flooded with complaints — some signed, others anonymous — all echoing the same demand: transparency. Yet, as these messages pile up, the silence from the Supervisory Committee only deepens the despair.
(Videos 1&2 caption: The umpiring in yesterday’s probables match has raised serious questions. The umpire signaled a fielding no-ball after the catch was taken and the players had already begun celebrating. Moreover, there was no conclusive evidence of an extra fielder outside the circle. Unfortunately, there was no live coverage or live scoring of the match, and the match data from the NFC is yet to be uploaded.)
If that weren’t enough, even a former Indian women’s Test cricketer has spoken out, alleging that Bhavani — the wife of a club secretary — has been appointed as manager of the senior women’s T20 team now touring Gwalior. She, along with Manasa, another club secretary’s wife, is notorious for “creating havoc” within teams. “They behave as if they own the association,” said a senior player. “For them, everyone else is just a servant.”
What angers parents and players alike is the complete inaction of those entrusted by the High Court to clean up the mess. Justice Naveen Rao, once viewed as the last hope to restore fairness, is now being urged to step in to review selections, audit records, and expose those who continue to mock judicial oversight.
He is being urged to enlist upright former cricketers with unimpeachable integrity — veterans like Maheshwar Singh or Naushir Mehta — or relatively younger, clean figures like former Ranji player Jyoti Prasad. “Justice cannot come from within the corrupt circles,” one senior coach remarked. “It must come from those who have nothing to lose and everything to protect.”
Reform must begin with a cleansing of the voter rolls. Dozens of “rogue secretaries” allegedly control multiple clubs, influencing every election and blocking reform. If the number of valid voters among the 200-odd clubs were reduced to 130–140 through strict scrutiny, free and fair polls would finally be possible.
Further, Justice Rao should mandate forensic audits of every member club, tracking where BCCI’s funds for “promotion of the game” are really going. The involvement of state and central investigative agencies is essential to uncover how crores meant for cricket have vanished into personal pockets.
Hyderabad cricket is gasping for breath. Its young players, once its pride, are now its victims. The rot is systemic, but the responsibility is personal — resting squarely on those entrusted to protect the game, not profit from it.
For now, the ball is in Justice Naveen Rao’s court. Whether he will act or remain a spectator will decide not just the fate of Hyderabad cricket — but its very soul.
