Our Sports Correspondent
The Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) has launched a sharp attack on the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), accusing it of violating High Court orders, ignoring BCCI directives and engaging in what it called “fraudulent and exploitative” conduct in the recently held Under-14 selections.
In a statement, TCA said the HCA failed to issue public notifications or formally inform TCA about district-level trials. Despite lacking district infrastructure, HCA reportedly summoned all U-14 aspirants to Secunderabad’s Gymkhana Grounds. According to TCA, nearly 3,500 students, many travelling over 250 km, arrived with their parents, only to face “chaotic and inhumane conditions”.
TCA questioned how thousands of boys could be trialled in a single day for a state-level selection, bypassing the mandatory process of conducting district matches first. “This appears to be an attempt to suppress genuine talent,” the association alleged, adding that the U-14 age group is not a recognised BCCI tournament and that the HCA had “no legitimate purpose” for collecting such a massive volume of personal data.
Calling it a “blatant violation of BCCI rules, High Court directions and the Justice L. N. Rao reforms,” TCA alleged that the data gathered from children would be diverted to HCA-linked private academies “for commercial exploitation”. The organisation termed it “data theft with criminal intent”, claiming it violates provisions of the upcoming National Sports Governance Bill 2025.
TCA further criticised HCA Administrator Justice Naveen Rao, saying that “no meaningful reform” had been implemented since his appointment. It questioned why similar open selections were not conducted for Ranji Trophy or higher age-group teams if HCA believed its process was legitimate.
The association accused HCA of repeatedly engaging in “criminal misconduct” and “destroying the careers of young cricketers”. It urged parents not to “fall into the trap” of unregulated trials and alleged that HCA was maintaining a monopoly over cricket in Telangana even as the state—with a population of 3.5 crore—had only 210 clubs and a single mixed league operating within Hyderabad city.
The TCA announced plans to launch its own statewide programmes, including the Telangana Premier League in 2026, expanded schools and colleges tournaments, and the Telangana Gold Cup 2025 beginning on 21 December.
It also demanded that the State government cancel HCA’s registration and warned of a “mass agitation” if no action is taken, stating that it would soon meet the Chief Minister and senior BCCI officials to press its case.
