MS Shanker
Cricket in Hyderabad boasts a rich legacy, dating back to the early 20th century when the game flourished under royal patronage. The city has produced some of India’s finest cricketers, bringing immense pride to the region. However, in the past few decades, Hyderabad’s cricketing fortunes have steeply declined, marred by corruption, favoritism, and administrative inefficiencies.
As promised in our previous article, Who Ruined Hyderabad Cricket? now our new series, How to Revive Hyderabad Cricket, explores ways to restore the city’s past glory. We gather insights from former cricketers, administrators, and experts who have closely followed Hyderabad’s cricketing decline. This investigation highlights actionable steps to reclaim the city’s reputation as a cricketing powerhouse.
The Hyderabad Ranji team, once a dominant force, has suffered due to systemic issues within the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). Multiple corruption scandals have rocked the association, with cases pending in the Supreme Court. Lawsuits filed in the state High Court by some executive members and former secretary P.R. Mansingh have pointed to large-scale financial mismanagement, favoritism in team selection, and the suppression of critical legal cases by vested interests within the state police’s Anti-Corruption Bureau.
Recent developments have further tainted the HCA’s credibility. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned former cricketer and ex-HCA president Mohammad Azharuddin in connection with a money laundering case. Additionally, the Hyderabad U-19 team was embroiled in an age-fraud scandal, resulting in bans for six players, including the designated captain. These instances highlight the urgent need for reform.
To understand the root causes and potential solutions, I engaged in extensive discussions with former Ranji Trophy players and administrators. Among them, Jyoti Prasad, a former Ranji all-rounder and banker, shared his experiences and concerns.
Jyoti Prasad needs no introduction. He carved a niche for himself, rising to fame on his own merits despite facing hurdles imposed by senior players during his playing days. Despite being a top performer, he encountered roadblocks due to favoritism and internal politics. He recalled how he and three other deserving colleagues—Ramnarayan, Chandran, and Vijay Paul—were denied spots in the final squad after completing the conditioning camp in Adilabad. Similarly, though he was selected for the South Zone squad for the Irani Cup, senior players ensured he was kept out. This kind of apathy, he noted, was prevalent even in his time.
Reflecting on Hyderabad’s decline in Ranji cricket, he pointed out that during the tenure of former cricketer and selector Arshad Ayub as HCA President, there was no undue interference. As Chief of the Selection Committee, Ayub ensured merit-based selections, helping Hyderabad reach the Ranji Trophy semifinals. However, Prasad lamented that such transparency has become rare, limiting opportunities for genuine talent.
Prasad also pointed out the erosion of Hyderabad’s grassroots cricket structure. In the past, a rigorous system of leagues and tournaments—such as the Berham-ud-Dowlah Cup and various zonal competitions—ensured a steady flow of talented players. Today, many of these tournaments are either defunct or poorly managed, depriving young cricketers of exposure and competitive experience.
Prasad, who made immense contributions to the state team, emphasized the importance of streamlining Hyderabad’s league and selection format to unearth the right talent. He vividly recalled the impact of senior zonal tournaments in shaping players like him. He believes that Hyderabad’s best cricketing days can return if the right mechanisms are in place.
According to him, the key to revival lies in identifying 100–120 genuinely talented cricketers fit for competitive tournaments and implementing a well-structured cricket calendar. This includes conducting league fixtures with a Super League based on team and individual performances, reviving historic tournaments like the Berham-ud-Dowlah Cup, organizing regular senior and junior zonal matches to identify state-level talent, and ensuring that all league matches are completed as per schedule wiuthout any omissions.He proposed that if 100–120 players emerge from 10–12 Division A league teams, they could be further divided into eight teams for the Super League, with four teams in each group. This structured approach, he believes, would ensure a steady pipeline of players for Hyderabad’s U-19, U-25, and Ranji teams.
Prasad firmly believes that a united effort is essential for Hyderabad’s cricketing revival. However, he remains skeptical about whether such reforms can happen under an elected HCA body. He acknowledged the possibility of a Supreme Court-nominated seven-member panel taking charge and suspending elections for 2–3 years to restore order.
Beyond former cricketers and administrators, he believes that legal authorities, cricket enthusiasts, and the cricketing fraternity must come together to drive meaningful reform.
Having followed Hyderabad cricket for years, I firmly believe that the state government and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) must take proactive steps to address this crisis. With the right governance, transparent selection processes, and a revived grassroots system, Hyderabad can once again produce cricketers who excel at the national and international levels.
The history of Hyderabad cricket is too glorious to be forgotten. With determined reforms, its revival is not just possible—it’s inevitable. (To be concluded.) (Next week, we shall elicit another former cricketer’s genuine views on revival of Hyderabad cricket in the next part)
