As the countdown begins for the much-publicised TG20 auction at Ramoji Film City, one thing is becoming abundantly clear: while the auctioneer may be ready with the gavel, the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) appears content sitting on its hands.
For weeks now, the Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) has been firing allegations with the enthusiasm of a powerplay batter seeing half-volleys. Press releases, documents, accusations, counter-claims — the works. And what has been HCA’s response?
Silence.
Not the nervous silence of guilt, mind you. According to HCA’s well-wishers, this is the silence of confidence. The silence of an organisation that believes it has done nothing wrong. The silence supposedly backed by legal oversight from a retired High Court judge.
Perhaps.
But confidence and arrogance often wear the same uniform. The difference lies in whether one eventually speaks.
TCA’s latest exhibit is a BCCI letter dating back to 2018. It has been projected as some sort of smoking gun. Yet the obvious question remains: what exactly was the context of that communication? Was it an outright prohibition? Or was it linked to circumstances prevailing at that time when a powerful political heavyweight reportedly chose to proceed with a similar tournament anyway?
After all, cricket followers with long memories will recall that such events were not exactly conducted in secrecy. Matches were played. Grounds were occupied. Spectators watched. Even some cricket-loving bureaucrats apparently enjoyed the spectacle.
Which brings us to a question that many ordinary cricket followers are asking.
Would broadcasting giants such as JioHotstar and Star Sports, companies whose business ecosystem revolves around Indian cricket and whose interests are intrinsically linked to the BCCI, casually walk into a tournament that lacked necessary approvals?
It is not a conclusion. It is merely a question. But it is a question worth answering.
And that is precisely where TCA is failing.
If HCA feels the allegations are baseless, dismantle them.
If the documents are being misrepresented, expose the misrepresentation.
If facts are being twisted, untwist them.
Instead, the association appears to have adopted the philosophy that if you ignore a fire long enough, people will eventually stop noticing the smoke.
History suggests otherwise.
This is particularly unfortunate because the HCA is not some newly formed WhatsApp cricket club. It is an institution approaching its centenary. An organisation that should be preparing to celebrate 100 years of cricketing legacy, not perfecting the art of strategic silence.
That said, silence over one issue does not automatically absolve the association of other concerns being raised by former office-bearers, affiliated clubs and former cricketers. Questions relating to franchise selection, appointment of coaches, alleged conflicts of interest and transparency in operational processes deserve answers as well.
The answer to allegations cannot be a perpetual vow of silence.
More importantly, if HCA genuinely believes that certain disgruntled former officials are attempting to pressure, influence or blackmail the administration for positions and patronage, then it should stop communicating through whispers and start speaking through evidence. Name names. Present facts. Let stakeholders judge.
Because in cricket, scoreboards eventually expose every bluff.
And with the TG20 auction just hours away, the clock is ticking not merely on the tournament.
It is ticking on HCA’s credibility.
The question is simple: does HCA intend to defend its reputation, or merely assume that its reputation can defend itself?
