As a responsible media house that has consistently exposed corruption, nepotism, and malpractice within the HCA — which together wrecked the State’s cricketing glory — this platform remains committed to presenting every side of the story. Unlike others, we continue to give space to all voices involved, ensuring transparency and fairness in the public domain. – EDITOR
Special Correspondent
The age-fraud storm within the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) continues to spiral, with allegations, police complaints, and counterclaims flying thick and fast. Amid this chaos, a few clarifications have now emerged — shedding some light on players who reportedly received relief from the courts.
While several newspapers recently published lists of players allegedly involved in age-related discrepancies, including yours, court records indicate that some of these individuals have, in fact, received interim relief. The following cases provide examples:
- WP 31240/2024 – Shashank Lokesh: Court permitted participation despite age discrepancy claims.
- WP 29199/2025 – Eravathri Anil Kumar: Interim suspension lifted; allowed for selection trials.
- WP 33997/2024 – Anudeep Javvaji: Ban removed; allowed to play tournaments.
- WP 34978/2024 – Chirag Yadav: Ban removed; participation permitted.
- WP 30993/2024 – Shiva Rama Krishna: Ban lifted; allowed to participate.
- WP 1047/2025 – Aditya Javvaji: Ban lifted; participation allowed.
- WP 34349/2023 – Shashank Mehrotra: Ban removed; allowed to play.
- WP 28136/2024 – Rishiket Sisodia: Cleared for trials amid ‘locality’ dispute.
- WP 17550/2024 – Madhuveer Reddy: Granted permission to participate despite age discrepancy claim.
However, it remains unclear on what precise grounds these reliefs were granted — whether purely technical or based on substantial merit.
One of the accused, Adnan Bafana, a former selector and state player, besides qualified coach, who owns two cricket academies in the city and its outskirts, told this correspondent that the issue should have been settled long ago, as “most of the players were registered with the BCCI and had already participated in its official tournaments.”
Yet, the role of private academy owners like Bafna cannot be overlooked. While selections are officially based on performances in ‘A’ and ‘B’ division league clubs, the growing influence of private academies draws uncomfortable parallels with the educational coaching industry, where “buying ranks” often masquerades as merit.
Interestingly, another affiliated club representative of the HCA argued that much of this controversy could have been avoided with timely communication. “Had the Acting President or the Acting Secretary issued a clarification—either before the selections or while finalizing the list of 30 probables for the state teams (U-16, U-19, or U-23)—that some of the 38 players previously banned for age fraud had obtained permissions from the courts, this confusion wouldn’t have arisen,” he said.
He contended that the apex council, however “truncated” it may be, should have circulated such clarifications among all club secretaries to ensure transparency and prevent renewed disputes over past age-fraud cases.
Given the seriousness of the allegations, only a comprehensive investigation by the CID and Anti-Corruption Bureau can expose the extent of malpractice and the alleged ‘pay-to-play’ network that has corroded the game’s integrity in Hyderabad.
The onus now lies on the State government and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to act decisively. Allowing this rot to fester any longer would not only crush the dreams of genuine aspirants from across Telangana but also invite harsh scrutiny from the BCCI, which may intervene if corrective action is not taken locally.
The Telangana High Court, which earlier appointed a Supervisory Committee under Justice Naveen Rao to oversee HCA affairs, should now empower the panel with absolute authority — and clear the backlog of petitions that have complicated governance within the association.
Equally crucial is the inclusion of credible former cricketers — individuals of unquestioned integrity who have no stake in past scams — to assist the court-appointed committee. Their experience and passion could help restore discipline, merit, and pride in Hyderabad cricket.
The time for half-measures is over. The HCA needs total overhaul or cleansing, not patchwork repairs. Only transparent investigation and strong administrative intervention can prevent the further humiliation of one of India’s oldest and once-proud cricketing institutions.
