Special Correspondent
The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) appears determined to prove that it has learnt absolutely nothing from its repeated administrative failures. Despite repeated warnings, public criticism and calls for corrective action, the same old culture of complacency, questionable decision-making and apparent indifference to accountability continues to haunt Hyderabad cricket. The latest casualty is the U-19 women’s team selection, whose disappointing campaign has once again brought the functioning of the HCA and its Single Management Committee (SMC) under the scanner.
Chalta hai… chalne do! That, unfortunately, appears to be the operating philosophy. Why correct a mistake when it can be repeated? Why protect merit when influence can allegedly take precedence and make a few make money? And why establish accountability when administrators can simply wait for the controversy to blow over?
This is precisely the attitude that Orangenews9 has consistently questioned.
Our earlier reports explicitly urged the HCA and its court-appointed SMC to draw firm red lines against power brokers, outside fixers and vested interests allegedly seeking to influence team selections, whether in men’s or women’s cricket. Yet, the concerns appear to have yielded little visible corrective action. If the warnings of an independent media platform are dismissed as inconvenient noise, the consequences are now becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Disappointingly, even some well-placed individuals in the administrative establishment, with whom this correspondent has interacted in the past, have expressed more pessimism than optimism about the prospects of setting things right. The prevailing impression is that vested interests have entrenched themselves so deeply that those entrusted with correcting the system either lack the will or are reluctant to confront the problem head-on.
The familiar temptation of “behethi Ganga mein haath dho lo” — exploiting a flawed system for personal advantage rather than correcting it — is precisely what must be eliminated from cricket administration. Hyderabad cricket cannot be allowed to become a convenient playground for competing personal agendas while genuine players pay the price.
Two wins, five matches, and a mountain of questions
The performance of Hyderabad’s U-19 women’s team provides the latest and most visible reason for concern. With just two wins from five matches, the campaign has been deeply disappointing, leaving the side facing an early exit. While defeats are an inevitable part of competitive sport, persistent underperformance demands serious scrutiny, particularly when questions about selection have already been raised.
This is not merely about a team having a bad tournament. It is about whether the selection process is identifying the best available talent, whether players are being retained on the strength of current performances, and whether those responsible for the team’s composition are prepared to answer uncomfortable questions.
Across batting, bowling and fielding, the team has struggled to produce the consistency expected at this level. Apart from a few individual contributions, several players have failed to make the desired impact. When a state team repeatedly falls short, administrators cannot hide behind the convenient argument that cricket is unpredictable. They must examine whether the right players were selected in the first place.
The scorecards tell a story that deserves closer examination.
As highlighted in our previous edition, the performances of Akshaya Reddy, Keerthana Bandela, M. Charvi and Jasmine Gill merit objective scrutiny. Their figures, available on the official BCCI website, BCCI.tv, should be assessed against the expectations attached to their respective roles in the side. The question is straightforward: are selection decisions being driven by demonstrable performance, potential supported by evidence, and team requirements — or by considerations that have little to do with cricketing merit?
Reports that some of these players also struggled in the previous year’s state-level matches make the issue more pressing. If that assessment is borne out by the records, the selectors owe the cricketing fraternity an explanation for their continued inclusion. Selection is not a lifetime appointment, and wearing Hyderabad colours cannot become a privilege insulated from performance reviews.
A player may fail in a match, a series or even an entire tournament. That alone does not establish that the selection was wrong. But when concerns recur, the administration has a duty to examine the evidence rather than dismiss criticism or mechanically repeat the same choices.
Merit in the dock, influence under suspicion
More disturbing are allegations that money, personal recommendations and powerful intermediaries may be influencing selections. There have also been allegations of expensive gifts, including cars, being offered to selectors or coaches in return for favourable treatment.
These are serious allegations, not established facts, and must be treated accordingly. They warrant an impartial, independent inquiry rather than either a cover-up or a trial by media. If the allegations are substantiated, those responsible must face appropriate action. If they are unfounded, a transparent investigation would help clear the names of those wrongly implicated.
But can the HCA honestly expect the cricketing community to remain silent when such allegations circulate alongside repeated concerns about selection standards?
The burden is now on the administration to demonstrate that its processes are beyond reproach. Publishing objective selection criteria, maintaining verifiable performance records, documenting selection decisions and providing an effective mechanism for raising grievances would be far more convincing than issuing blanket denials or allowing questions to linger unanswered.
The situation becomes particularly troubling when even selections made under the supervision of a court-appointed SMC fail to inspire confidence among stakeholders. The committee was expected to help restore institutional credibility, improve governance and ensure that cricketing decisions are insulated from vested interests. If the same questions continue to surface under its watch, it cannot simply claim that the problem belongs to the past.
Court-appointed oversight cannot become a ceremonial arrangement. Nor can the presence of judicial administrators be treated as a substitute for measurable reform. The SMC must demonstrate that its intervention has made a tangible difference to the way Hyderabad cricket is administered.
HCA refuses to learn. Who pays the price?
The greatest damage caused by such a culture is not confined to a disappointing tournament or a few lost matches. It strikes at the heart of the sporting ecosystem.
Consider the young cricketer who trains relentlessly, performs consistently and waits for an opportunity to represent the state. What message does she receive if selection decisions repeatedly appear inexplicable? What incentive remains for hundreds of aspiring players if they begin to suspect that performance alone may not be enough?
When merit is overshadowed by influence, the deserving are discouraged, competition is weakened and confidence in the institution erodes. Women’s cricket, which needs sustained investment, wider opportunities and stronger pathways for emerging talent, suffers particularly when selection controversies undermine faith in the system.
Hyderabad does not lack aspiring cricketers. What it needs is an administration capable of identifying, nurturing and rewarding them without fear or favour. The state jersey must represent achievement, not access. Selectors must exercise independent judgement, not become vulnerable to external pressure. Administrators must protect the integrity of the process, not merely manage the fallout when results expose its weaknesses.
Orangenews9 will not abandon its responsibility simply because repeated warnings appear to fall on deaf ears. Independent journalism exists precisely to question entrenched practices, raise the concerns of aggrieved stakeholders and demand answers when institutions fail to correct themselves. Our objective is not to malign individuals but to ensure that credible concerns are examined and that the interests of cricket and cricketers prevail over private agendas.
Yet, there is a limit to how long stakeholders can be expected to wait. Every controversy followed by silence deepens the impression that accountability is optional. Every disappointing campaign accompanied by unanswered selection questions further damages the HCA’s credibility.
Time to weed out the rot — not issue another assurance
The HCA and its SMC must stop treating recurring criticism as an irritation to be endured. They must initiate a comprehensive review of the U-19 women’s team selection, examine the relevant performance records, explain contentious decisions and investigate credible allegations through an independent mechanism. Selection benchmarks must be transparent, deserving youngsters must receive a fair opportunity, and selectors must be answerable for the decisions they make.
Most importantly, the administration must establish an effective firewall against outside interference. No individual, however influential, should be able to dictate selections or secure preferential treatment. If any person has attempted to compromise the process, the response must be firm, evidence-based and impartial.
The larger question, however, is whether the HCA has the institutional will to change. Hyderabad cricket has endured enough controversies, administrative missteps and promises of reform. It does not need another round of explanations after another disappointing campaign. It needs visible corrective action.
The message to the HCA and its SMC is unambiguous: stop rewarding complacency, stop allowing selection controversies to fester, and stop expecting stakeholders to accept the unacceptable in the name of chalta hai.
An administration that repeatedly fails to learn from its mistakes risks becoming part of the problem it was appointed to solve. The HCA has yet another opportunity to prove that criticism can lead to correction and oversight can deliver accountability.
If it squanders this opportunity too, nobody should be surprised when confidence in Hyderabad cricket sinks further.
The game belongs to the players, not the power brokers. Merit must come first. Accountability must follow. And the era of chalta hai must end — now.
