MS Shanker
With top office-bearers under arrest and Hyderabad cricket administration in shambles, club members demand answers from acting chief Daljit Singh.
In what is fast becoming a daily soap opera of administrative chaos and credibility erosion, the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) finds itself once again under fire—this time not from investigative agencies or the judiciary, but from within its own ranks. A strongly-worded letter, described as a “reminder”, has been addressed to the HCA’s Acting President, Sardar Daljit Singh, by a veteran club secretary, highlighting not just procedural lapses but what he alleges to be acts of omission bordering on collusion.
The letter, sent by Ramakrishna Udupa, Secretary of one of the affiliated clubs and a member of the Hyderabad Cricket Association, raises several pointed questions about the conduct and decisions of the current dispensation following the arrests of HCA President A. Jagan Mohan Rao and Treasurer Srinivas by the state Crime Investigation Department (CID). With these two office-bearers now in custody and denied bail, the burden of running the affairs of HCA rests precariously on the shoulders of Acting President Daljit Singh and Joint Secretary G. Basavaraju—whose own role has come under serious scrutiny.
At the heart of Udupa’s letter is the contentious issue of the disenfranchisement of 57 clubs from the most recent Annual General Meeting (AGM)—a decision taken arbitrarily, allegedly in the name of Supreme Court orders. He points out a glaring contradiction: if these clubs were ineligible based on a December 2023 order of the apex court, why were they allowed to participate in the previous two AGMs?
“If the participation of these 57 clubs is now deemed illegal, does it not render all decisions taken in their presence—including those involving finances, appointments, and governance—null and void?” he questions. “Both positions cannot hold true. Either the previous AGMs were irregular or the current disenfranchisement is baseless.”
This inconsistency, he argues, has not only bred confusion but has pushed the HCA further into legal and moral disarray, with members and stakeholders left uncertain about the legitimacy of the association’s decisions.
His letter doesn’t stop at procedural inconsistencies. It brings to light a far more troubling personal grievance—one that hints at deeper rot within the system. He accuses a fellow club secretary named Shankar of taking Rs 5 lakh from him under the pretext of “infrastructure development”. He alleges that the now-absconding HCA Secretary had assured him the complaint would be taken seriously.
Instead, he claims, the amount was refunded not to his Company’s account, but to my account by Shankar, raising questions about the complicity—or at the very least, inaction-of of Joint Secretary Basavaraju, who is accused of shielding the accused club secretary. “What action has been taken against Basavaraju for his inaction?” Udupa asks.
To add insult to injury, the minutes of the 87th AGM—where only two decisions were reportedly passed amid chaos and protests—are yet to be circulated among members. This delay further compounds the perception of deliberate obfuscation and lack of transparency.
“There is a complete breakdown in trust. If this continues, not only will the HCA lose what little credibility it has left, but Hyderabad cricket will suffer a blow it may never recover from,” remarked a former cricketer familiar with the internal developments.
With multiple FIRs, allegations of financial misconduct, and factionalism gripping the HCA, letters such as Udupa’s serve as critical leads for investigating authorities. The CID, which has already taken a strong stance by arresting top office-bearers, may find merit in expanding its probe to include fresh complaints like these, especially if they indicate patterns of financial misappropriation and deliberate governance failures.
The once-revered HCA, known for producing cricketing legends of world-class class, is now battling a crisis of both conscience and competence. What was once an institution of pride has become a punchline in cricketing circles, and unless swift, transparent, and bold corrective steps are taken, Hyderabad’s cricketing future may be permanently derailed.
As Udupa’s letter gains traction among other club members, a louder chorus is emerging—demanding the resignation of tainted officials, restoration of disenfranchised clubs, and court-monitored administrative reform. With the BCCI watching and legal scrutiny intensifying, the acting president has little room left to manoeuvre.
Hyderabad cricket’s rescue act must begin now, and it must begin with truth, transparency, and total accountability. Or else, the HCA may soon find itself remembered not for nurturing legends—but for destroying the very fabric of cricket in the city.
