Special Correspondent With corruption in the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) reaching its pinnacle, its truncated apex council—now headed by Acting President Sardar Daljit Singh and Acting Joint Secretary Basavaraju—finds itself in the dock once again. The charge this time: blatant manipulation and favoritism in the selection of Hyderabad’s Under-19 cricket team. A parent, A. Venkateshwar…
Fake Matches, Fixed Scoresheets, and Stadium Neglect In the previous part, we traced how Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) was reduced to a loot machine, bleeding money in the name of clothing bills, medical reimbursements, and phantom development. But the cancer did not stop with finances. The rot seeped into the very sanctity of the game…
Special Correspondent The mood among Hyderabad’s young cricketers is turning from hopeful to hopeless. Frustration, disappointment, and a growing sense of betrayal now dominate conversations across academies and clubs. Despite commendable performances in leagues and trials, dozens of deserving players have been left out — replaced by those with money, influence, or connections. Even more…
MS Shanker After two relentless exposés — “Who Ruined Hyderabad Cricket?” and “How to Revive Hyderabad Cricket?” — I have now reached a painful but inescapable conclusion: the real rot within the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) lies not only with its office-bearers, but deep within its affiliated clubs themselves. These clubs, over 200 in number,…
MS Shanker There are journalists, and then there are legends. Dharmavaram Sitaram firmly belonged to the latter tribe. Rough-edged, sharp-tongued, and merciless in his mentoring style, he was as much a tormentor as a teacher. But ask those who came under his wing—often unwillingly—and they will tell you that his harassment was actually his version…
Special Correspondent Hyderabad cricket is bleeding—not on the field, but in the boardroom. For more than two decades, the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has been systematically looted by a nexus of politicians, ex-cricketers turned power brokers, and their cronies. What was once a platform to produce Test stars is now an empire of scams. The…
MS Shaker Loot in the Name of Cricket In the last episode, we exposed how Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) survived without rules, without audits, and without accountability. It was a structure built for abuse. But the absence of rules is only half the story. What truly explains the decay of Hyderabad cricket is what happened…
This week, we momentarily step away from our ongoing “How to Revive Hyderabad Cricket” series to focus on an equally urgent question: why does the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) still refuse recognition to the Telangana Cricket Association (TCA), despite its credibility, reforms, and grassroots impact—while continuing to prop up a dysfunctional…
Special Correspondent The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) seems to have learnt nothing from repeated court humiliations and rising public outrage over its opaque, irregular, and often dubious functioning. The truncated Apex Council, far from introspection, looks determined to deepen the crisis. Now, even the selection of the state’s Under-19 team — a space that should…
Special Correspondent Even as the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) remains entangled in multiple legal battles and under the watch of a court-appointed administrator, a section of its truncated apex council appears unwilling to learn from past controversies. According to insiders, HCA Joint Secretary Basavaraju is reportedly pushing for a grandiose multi-level parking facility at the…
