A Dynasty of Decline: Time for Shivlal to Step Aside
MS Shanker
As part of my ongoing series “Who Ruined Hyderabad Cricket,” this episode focuses on when and how the decline truly began. Much has been written—and far more whispered—about the rot in the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). It all began with the rise of the Players Panel’s Shivlal Yadav, who ousted one of the most competent administrators of his era, P.R. Mansingh. While Mansingh brought a degree of transparency to the functioning of the HCA, he too wasn’t entirely blameless, having sown the seeds of vote-bank politics by nurturing loyalists among affiliated clubs in the league structure.
That said, the real damage began under Shivlal Yadav’s reign. Corruption, nepotism, and administrative arrogance became the norm. And now, with the recent IPL ticket scam exposing the underbelly of the HCA, the last fig leaf of legitimacy has fallen. From brazen financial irregularities and dubious team selections to the misuse of authority, the once-proud cricketing institution has descended into a cesspool of political patronage and personal fiefdoms. At the centre of this long-running mess is a man whose shadow has loomed over Hyderabad cricket for more than three decades—former India off-spinner turned ‘kingmaker’, Shivlal Yadav.
Also Read: https://orangenews9.com/who-ruined-hyderabad-cricket-part-xvi/
While Yadav once carried the hopes of a cricketing city on his broad shoulders, today he is a symbol of everything that has gone wrong in Hyderabad cricket. His administrative reign—spanning over 24 years in HCA—has been marked not only by steady cricketing decline but also by allegations of corruption, nepotism, and misuse of power. Worse, he is now facing criminal charges related to financial mismanagement in the construction of the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium—a project he once claimed as his crowning achievement.
To be sure, Yadav’s vision of building a modern stadium for Hyderabad was ambitious and even admirable. But what followed is a sordid tale of inflated contracts, irregular fund flow, and unaccounted expenditures. Over ₹100 crore from BCCI’s grants is alleged to have been misappropriated during the stadium’s construction phase between 2002 and 2012. An Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) probe was initiated following complaints by HCA members, and Shivlal Yadav was named Accused No.1 in that case. Despite compelling evidence and a slew of charges—199, to be precise—the case has mysteriously stagnated. The state police, for reasons best known to it, has chosen to put the file in cold storage.
Also read: https://orangenews9.com/who-ruined-hyderabad-cricket-part-xv/
Added to that, the judiciary’s prolonged silence, the state’s selective enforcement, and the BCCI’s studied indifference have created a protective bubble around him, making a mockery of accountability in Indian cricket governance.
But if the legal mess were the only issue, it might have been quarantined. Yadav’s administrative legacy is far more corrosive. He has been repeatedly accused of promoting his brother, Rajesh Yadav, over more talented and deserving players in the Ranji team, and of pushing his sister into the state women’s cricket setup. His long-standing grip over team selections, coaching appointments, and internal elections has severely stifled meritocracy. His son, Arjun Yadav, continued to feature in the Hyderabad team well past his prime, while promising players like Ambati Rayudu walked away in frustration, fed up with repeated snubs and on-field conflicts. Coaches, selectors, and club officials were either handpicked loyalists or systematically sidelined.
To make matters worse, Shivlal allegedly brought another brother, Virender Yadav, into the system by installing him as secretary of an affiliated club, Ranga Reddy district—apparently justified by the fact that he is a practicing lawyer. Shockingly, this club, which has not allegedly fielded a team in the league system for over three decades, still retains full voting rights. Even more ironic is how the Supreme Court-appointed Ombudsman, Justice L. Nageswara Rao, failed to flag Shivlal-run clubs for conflict of interest and suspend them along with the 57 others. Not only were Shivlal’s clubs spared, but Rao also allegedly ignored several other similar violations.
Also read: https://orangenews9.com/who-ruined-hyderabad-cricket-part-xiv/
The result? Hyderabad’s slow slide from being a Ranji Trophy powerhouse to a bottom-rung domestic side has become irreversible. Since the Ranji format was restructured in 2002, the city that once produced half the Indian national team has been humiliated by teams like Goa, Jharkhand, and even a resurgent Andhra. The stats are grim, but the politics is grimmer.
Hyderabad cricket has become a captive to a syndicate of former cricketers-turned-politicians who now treat the HCA as an ATM rather than a sports body. Shivlal’s influence in HCA elections remains unmatched—be it the appointment of selectors, coaches, or even ad-hoc committees. Every vote, every decision, and every file seems to pass through his invisible (but firm) grip.
Even when he claimed to have “bowed out” in 2009 after the stadium’s inauguration, he continued to remain in the corridors of power, officially as vice-president, unofficially as kingmaker. His close alignment with former BCCI boss N. Srinivasan further cemented his power, helping him secure plum roles at the national level, including a stint as interim BCCI president (non-IPL affairs).
Yet, despite this national stature, Yadav did little to stem the rot back home. Instead of nurturing future stars, he nurtured cronies. Instead of using his BCCI access to reform HCA, he used it to protect his turf. And when corruption charges mounted, he chose silence over accountability.
Also read: https://orangenews9.com/who-ruined-hyderabad-cricket-part-xiii/
It’s also worth noting the contrast with other cricketing stalwarts from Hyderabad. Legends like late Syed Abid Ali or Abbas Ali Baig served with quiet dignity in their time and stepped away gracefully, choosing not to cling to power even when Indian cricket was not awash with IPL riches. They focused on the game. Shivlal focused on controlling it.
And therein lies the crux of the crisis.
Hyderabad cricket today is broken—not because of a lack of talent, but because of an excess of interference. It is bleeding—not due to defeats on the field, but due to compromises off it. And that bleeding will not stop until men like Shivlal Yadav are shown the exit, not ceremoniously, but with clear institutional firmness.
To Shivlal, the time for self-introspection is long overdue. You have had your innings—complete with highs, lows, and scandals. But the game has changed, and the city you once proudly represented deserves better. Step aside. Let younger, cleaner hands rebuild what you have helped dismantle.
For the sake of Hyderabad cricket, enough is enough.
