By a Former HCA Secretary
Hyderabad cricket today stands at a crossroads — wounded, directionless, and drowning in corruption while those in power look the other way. The ruling party’s apathy, government agencies’ indifference, and the BCCI’s inexplicable silence are together ensuring the slow death of what was once one of India’s proudest cricketing institutions.
Yes, the senior, U-19, and U-23 teams may have done well in recent seasons — a rare bright spot amid chaos — but that cannot hide the rot. The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) continues to be infested with power brokers, fixers, and self-serving manipulators who treat the game like a personal business venture. Some of these very people, once accused of human trafficking and bribery in selections, still call the shots.
What makes the situation truly shameful is that the same individuals who presided over HCA’s moral and administrative collapse — some even accused by a retired Supreme Court judge during an inquiry — continue to wield influence. Many of them may have once played for the state or even the country, but their legacy today is one of greed, manipulation, and deceit.
And where, one must ask, is the action? Why is the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) turning a blind eye to Hyderabad’s decay? Why have the courts, including the Supreme Court, allowed key cases against corrupt officials to languish for years? Swift justice could have restored credibility and saved the game in a city that once produced India’s finest — from the Nawab of Pataudi and Azharuddin to VVS Laxman.
As a former HCA Secretary, I cannot but hang my head in shame. This is not just administrative collapse — it is intellectual and moral bankruptcy.
What pains me most is the political hypocrisy. The ruling government, under the guise of “minority representation,” has gone ahead and inducted a tainted former HCA president — an accused in multiple cases — into the state cabinet. What message does this send? That corruption and communal appeasement are the new qualifications for high office?
It’s impossible not to draw parallels with the recent political developments abroad. Look at New York, where voters have chosen a controversial figure as Mayor — a man who, like our newly anointed minister, thrives on identity politics and division. Is this not the same disease — rewarding the tainted while mocking merit and morality?
If this is not rewarding sinners, then what is it? If this is not appeasement politics at its ugliest, then what else can it be?
The Telangana Police, it seems, have conveniently “cleared” this individual despite a damning inquiry by a former Supreme Court judge and ongoing Enforcement Directorate investigations. FIRs filed at Uppal Police Station remain “under investigation” for years, while the ED has already traced proceeds of crime and attached assets. And yet, the accused walks free — rewarded, not punished.
What greater shame can there be?
This is not just about cricket anymore. It’s about the decay of values and the moral collapse of institutions — political, judicial, and sporting alike. The Congress does not need outside enemies to destroy it; it is committing suicide by promoting those who represent its worst instincts.
Seventy-five years after Independence, we still live as slaves — not to foreign rulers, but to corruption, communal politics, and cowardice. We call ourselves a democracy, but where is the accountability?
Power and wealth were meant to serve society, not to be hoarded by a few in pursuit of self-glory. History has shown that ill-gotten gains and false pride never last. What endures is service, honesty, and the affection of the people.
The time has come for those in power to look their voters in the eye and answer their silent prayers. Death is certain — but before it comes, let those who hold office earn the love and respect of the society they claim to serve.
Because history, like cricket, never forgets its failures.
Service to mankind is greater than service to. God!
A thought for the day!
