Special Correspondent
The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) is once again hurtling toward a fresh crisis—this time over a Special General Meeting (SGM) abruptly announced for December 7. A circular calling the SGM has been circulated among members, but one fundamental question hangs over the entire exercise: Does the truncated Apex Council even have the legal authority to call this meeting? And more importantly, has the High Court–appointed Supervisory Committee, headed by Justice Naveen Rao, approved it?
As of now, there is no clarity.
What is clear, however, is that the so-called Apex Council, reduced to just two members, is acting far beyond the scope permitted by the HCA Constitution. Sources within the association point out that the Apex Council does not have the powers to appoint a “Constitution Amendment Committee”—the very body it has reportedly constituted under a club secretary and a handful of hand-picked members. Constitutional clauses 12(1) and 42(1) of Chapter X, which deal with amendment procedures and miscellaneous provisions, leave no ambiguity: the truncated council cannot assume powers that rest only with a properly constituted General Body.
Yet, insiders say the sub-committee—which itself has no constitutional backing—met casually “over tea and snacks,” and allegedly conveyed its approval to the Apex Council. Whether such a meeting has any legal standing is highly doubtful; whether it has any moral standing is even more debatable.
Conflict of Interest Shadows the Apex Council
Both remaining office-bearers—the Acting President (originally Vice President) and the Joint Secretary—are themselves under the cloud of conflict-of-interest provisions under the Justice R.M. Lodha Committee reforms that govern cricket associations nationwide.
The Acting President, for instance, is associated with two clubs—Khalsa and Ameerpet—run by his family. Insiders claim he facilitated the involvement of a former Commercial Taxes official, who, despite this former retired government employee background, contested HCA elections under the Ameerpet Cricket Club. If true, this raises serious conflict-of-interest concerns. One is left wondering how this escaped scrutiny when the Supreme Court-appointed Ombudsman, Justice L. Nageswara Rao (Retd), suspended 57 clubs for precisely such irregularities.
The Joint Secretary faces his own troubling history. His name was earlier listed among the accused in an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) case but was later deleted—a move that continues to raise eyebrows within the cricketing fraternity. This is the same official who unsuccessfully challenged in court the very appointment of Justice Naveen Rao as Supervisory Committee head, leading to a sharp rebuke from the judge—a matter already in the public domain.
In short, the very people calling the SGM are themselves facing unresolved questions of propriety.
Is the December 7 SGM a Powerplay Disguised as Governance?
Multiple insiders allege that the December 7 SGM is not about reforms at all, but about orchestrating a controlled reshuffle. According to these sources, a powerful lobby of former administrators—some of whom face ongoing police and court proceedings—wants to pressure suspended President Jaganmohan Rao and Secretary Devraj Ramachandra into resigning. Fresh elections for these two posts would allow this lobby to install individuals of their choice and regain influence within HCA.
This alleged plan comes at a time when Hyderabad cricket is in free fall. The state’s U-23 team has hit rock bottom in national standings. Age-fraud scandals continue to plague selections. Players previously flagged for bogus birth certificates still find backdoor entry. The infamous “pay-to-play” allegations—where desperate parents reportedly pay bribes for their children’s selection—refuse to die down.
It is in this chaotic backdrop that the December 7 SGM has been announced—with little transparency and even less legitimacy.
Will the Supervisory Committee Even Allow the SGM?
Contrary to the Apex Council’s confidence, several reliable sources believe that Justice Naveen Rao is unlikely to permit the SGM at all. After months of alleged violations, defiance of court directives, and repeated administrative lapses, the Supervisory Committee is said to have reached a point of “enough is enough.”
If Justice Naveen Rao withholds approval, the entire exercise collapses.
And if he doesn’t, Hyderabad cricket—already battered by scandals, litigation, and administrative decay—may be pushed into yet another vortex of power games.
One thing is certain: the December 7 SGM, far from being a routine meeting, may well determine whether HCA begins to reform—or sinks deeper into disrepute.
