Special Correspondent
In what appears to be a significant breakthrough after months of mounting pressure, the Hyderabad Cricket Association’s (HCA) truncated Apex Council has finally begun to act on the long-ignored issue of bogus age certificates—an issue that Orangenews9 has relentlessly highlighted through a series of investigative reports.
According to sources, the Apex Council has now issued a circular mandating that all players of U23 must submit legitimate birth certificates supported by Aadhaar verification for age-related eligibility across all state teams. This long-overdue step comes against the backdrop of persistent public criticism, police complaints, and ongoing court petitions that have questioned the credibility of the HCA’s functioning. This verification should be extended to the U19 players too, as there are many complaints from parents and players about the manipulation of certificates.
The move is also seen as a response to the supervisory oversight of Justice Naveen Rao, appointed by the Telangana High Court to monitor the HCA’s day-to-day administration. The Supervisory Committee has been urging transparency and stricter scrutiny in team selections, tournament organisation, and age-verification protocols.
For parents of promising cricketers—boys and girls—this development brings a measure of relief. Many had expressed anguish to Orangenews9 about how rampant age fraud and manipulative selection practices had jeopardised the careers of genuine young talents. For them, a single missed season can derail years of investment, preparation, and hope.
One such case involves a 20-year-old cricketer—whose identity Orangenews9 is withholding to protect his career—who had been consistently ignored despite strong performances. He represented Hyderabad in the U-19 category and spent multiple seasons warming the bench while less deserving players were promoted ahead of him. His story, however, is just one among many.
The irony is stark: not long ago, more than 20 players were caught submitting forged age certificates and were handed bans. Yet, the same Apex Council controversially re-inducted several of those players into state teams, inviting widespread condemnation. Some individuals did secure temporary relief from the High Court, but those orders applied only to a specific season. Despite that, the Apex Council’s inconsistent decisions have raised questions about fairness and administrative integrity.
Adding to the turmoil are allegations that the current truncated council is functioning under a cloud of accusations, including the notorious “pay-to-play” culture. Several parents have privately alleged that selectors and intermediaries demanded lakhs of rupees to secure spots in state squads. These concerns are reportedly even more pronounced in women’s cricket, where some families say they felt compelled to bow to pressures from selectors, officials, and powerful intermediaries.
Insiders point to the growing influence of certain private cricket academies that allegedly push their trainees into state teams through backdoor channels. Despite these structural flaws, Hyderabad’s teams have managed to deliver respectable on-field results this season. However, recent decisions raise fresh concerns—for instance, the sudden dropping of an in-form U-23 player after just one match in an ongoing tournament. The move has baffled observers and reinforced the belief that systemic bias and manipulation remain deeply embedded within the HCA.
While the Apex Council’s latest circular marks a positive step, stakeholders say it must be followed by sustained reforms, transparent selection procedures, and strict enforcement of age-verification norms. Only then, they insist, can Hyderabad cricket hope for a genuine course correction.
For now, the impact of sustained media scrutiny—led by Orangenews9’s continuous reporting—has forced the HCA to acknowledge a long-festering crisis. Whether the authorities follow through with consistent action remains a question that cricketing families, players, and the larger sporting community will watch closely.
