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 have been insulated from power games — has been dragged into controversy.
Not long ago, this e-paper exposed how the controversial Joint Secretary, Basavaraju, even dared to question the Telangana High Court’s authority when it appointed a one-man commission, headed by Justice Naveen Rao, to oversee HCA’s affairs. His petition was dismissed outright for lack of locus standi. Yet, instead of being chastened, Basavaraju has only grown more brazen in pushing through questionable decisions.
Take his rush to constitute a committee for constructing a multi-level parking facility worth several crores. This move came despite multiple cases pending in courts and without the quorum mandated by the HCA constitution. Instead of resisting, some council members shamelessly endorsed him on their WhatsApp group, and even trolled this correspondent, preaching that I should be “pragmatic” since the proposal allegedly came from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). What these defenders forget is that SRH itself had earlier lodged a complaint that led to the arrest of HCA’s President, Secretary, and Treasurer. To now argue that SRH was generously offering to fund the facility, when HCA’s very lease of Uppal Stadium is nearing expiry, is nothing less than a cruel joke. Let it be clear: no one opposes new facilities. But such decisions must be taken in legally unchallengeable environments, not through backdoor manoeuvres with ulterior motives.
If that weren’t enough, a fresh storm has erupted over the selection of the U-19 state team for an upcoming tournament next week. Once again, Basavaraju appears to be at the centre. Already facing legal challenges to his own eligibility as a club representative, he reportedly tried — and failed — to pressure senior selectors into accommodating his favoured players. Undeterred, he has now allegedly manipulated the junior selection committee to push his candidates.
When this correspondent reached out to one of the selectors, the official refused to answer — a silence that raises more questions than it answers. More disturbing still, the player Basavaraju is believed to be lobbying for is the BCC skipper, even as many deserving local talents were overlooked. In the current probables list of 30, more than ten have allegedly failed medical tests meant to confirm age eligibility. Yet, the same names keep resurfacing, while genuine performers remain sidelined.
This is not merely about one player or one committee. It is about the deep rot that has infected HCA — an institution once celebrated as a nursery of Indian cricketing talent, now reduced to a playground for vested interests, power-brokers, and endless litigation. Transparency has given way to intrigue, and credibility to cronyism. The U-19 controversy is only the latest symptom of a disease that has spread unchecked.
The Telangana High Court, in its wisdom, set up a one-man commission under Justice Naveen Rao to restore order. But unless that authority is exercised firmly and without fear or favour, the decline will continue. Every manipulated selection robs a deserving youngster of his rightful chance. The recent jubilation over Hyderabad’s Butchi Babu tournament victory may soon prove short-lived if these undercurrents persist.
Meanwhile, it is gathered that Basavaraju has also brazenly sat on the list of coaches for state teams meant to be forwarded to Justice Rao — even with the U-19 tournament beginning next week and the Ranji Trophy season set to follow later this month. He also reportedly appointed Kiran as U23 coach and Ghouse Baba as assistant coach. And his performance says it all; Kiran’s past performance as a coach. In 2023-2024 in Cooch Behar U19, out of seven teams, the state team ended in 6th position. It was repeated even in the U-23, where he was a coach for CK Naidu tournament, which ended in 7th position among the eight teams that took part.
Once a beacon that produced stars for India, HCA today is crumbling under the weight of personal fiefdoms, dubious deals, and institutional decay. Justice Naveen Rao must act decisively — now. There can be no leniency, no delay, and no room for vested interests. If his commission does not intervene firmly, Hyderabad cricket risks losing not just a generation of talent, but its very credibility. The city’s cricketing legacy will be buried under its own scandals.
