At a time when the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) finds itself under an unforgiving public spotlight, its leadership insists a quiet but consequential course correction is underway. The past year has been marked by extraordinary turbulence—the arrest of the President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and the emergence of a truncated Apex Council forced to function under the supervision of the Hon’ble High Court-appointed observer, Justice Naveen Rao.
According to HCA officials, it is precisely this judicial oversight that has helped the Association pull back from the brink of administrative paralysis and move—at least on paper—towards a more accountable and legally grounded framework.
Legal Gains, by the Numbers
From August 2025 to January 2026, HCA reports a flurry of legal and financial activity. During this period, the Association was involved in 30 court cases spanning governance disputes, contractual matters, and legacy administrative conflicts. Of these, 18 remain pending, seven have been disposed of, and five were withdrawn. HCA also initiated six fresh cases during the same window.
In several key matters, the Hon’ble High Court granted stay orders in favour of the Association, and multiple rulings went HCA’s way. For an institution long criticised for being trapped in endless litigation, the relatively quicker turnaround of verdicts is being projected internally as evidence of a sharper legal strategy and more professional handling of inherited disputes.
Fiscal Prudence—or a Rare Exception?
On the financial front, HCA points to what it describes as a rare moment of internal discipline. Acting on the directions of the High Court-appointed Supervisory Committee, the Association’s Internal Auditors and Finance Manager conducted a verification exercise on payments totalling ₹1.31 crore.
The review revealed that ₹32.51 lakh had already been disbursed earlier. By identifying the duplication in time, HCA avoided an unnecessary outflow, translating into direct savings—an outcome that stands out in an organisation often accused of lax financial oversight.
Contracts Under the Scanner
In another move aimed at restoring credibility, HCA is understood to have constituted a Tender Committee to oversee the bidding process for Housekeeping and Security contracts. Through what the Association describes as transparent evaluation and hard negotiations, the Committee claims to have optimised costs by approximately ₹40 lakh without compromising service standards.
For critics who have long alleged nepotism and favouritism in contractual decisions, this exercise is being held up by HCA as a tentative step—if not yet a definitive break—towards cleaner governance.
Judicial Oversight and a Truncated Council
Justice Naveen Rao’s presence looms large over these developments. HCA officials openly acknowledge that the Association’s recent administrative stability owes much to his continued guidance and scrutiny.
Under this judicial umbrella, the truncated Apex Council—effectively steered by the Vice-President and Joint Secretary in acting capacities—has attempted to implement reforms and untangle legal knots that accumulated over years of factionalism and alleged misgovernance.
Yet, even within HCA, there is an admission that this arrangement has its limits. The acting office-bearers operate with constrained authority and scope, and many entrenched problems—ranging from governance loopholes to unresolved internal rivalries—remain untouched by decisive intervention.
Ambitions Beyond Hyderabad
Looking ahead, the Association has unveiled an ambitious plan to acquire land for cricketing facilities and stadiums across various districts of Telangana. The stated objective is to strengthen grassroots development, expand access beyond Hyderabad’s traditional cricketing hubs, and nurture district-level talent.
If pursued with sincerity and transparency, this could mark a shift from perpetual administrative firefighting to genuine cricketing development. For now, however, it remains an announcement rather than an achieved milestone.
The Junior Selection Storm
Even as HCA highlights its legal and administrative gains, these claims are increasingly being overshadowed by developments on the cricketing front—particularly in junior selections.
Allegations of corruption in selection are often dismissed as perception or personal bias. But one metric refuses to be ignored: performance. Teams picked by the junior selectors have delivered consistently underwhelming results across multiple age-group tournaments this season. The poor on-field returns have raised serious questions about team balance, player readiness, and the logic underpinning selection decisions.
A solitary Vinoo Mankad Trophy title, significant in isolation, cannot be used to mask failures elsewhere or to justify choices that appear to have disrupted Hyderabad’s junior cricket ecosystem for the remainder of the season. One success, critics argue, cannot compensate for widespread underperformance when capable and deserving talent is believed to be available.
Allegations That Refuse to Fade
The most uncomfortable questions remain unanswered. Senior officials have faced pointed queries over allegations of “pay-to-play” involving junior selectors—specifically, claims that a parent of a promising young cricketer paid as much as ₹24 lakh to alleged power brokers within the system.
On this front, the Association has yet to clearly outline what steps, if any, have been taken to assist the complainant or to formally investigate the selectors’ alleged role. For an institution striving to project transparency, this continued ambiguity remains a glaring hole in its reform narrative.
A Genuine Reset—or a Temporary Pause?
In many ways, HCA today stands at a crossroads. The limited legal reliefs, identified financial savings, and stated plans for grassroots expansion suggest an organisation attempting to steady itself after prolonged instability.
At the same time, unresolved corruption allegations, the continued inaction against junior selectors—particularly on issues of conflict of interest and nepotism—and the visible impact of poor selection outcomes serve as reminders that structural change cannot be declared. It must be demonstrated.
As the 2026–27 cricket season approaches, HCA’s leadership is keen to project an image of renewal under judicial watch. Whether this phase becomes a genuine reset or merely a pause in a longer cycle of controversy will depend on how firmly the Association moves beyond procedural compliance to substantive accountability—addressing not only its legal battles, but also the deeper questions of trust, fairness, and cricketing integrity that continue to shadow Hyderabad cricket.
