MS Shaker
Loot in the Name of Cricket
In the last episode, we exposed how Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) survived without rules, without audits, and without accountability. It was a structure built for abuse. But the absence of rules is only half the story. What truly explains the decay of Hyderabad cricket is what happened once money began to flow. And flow it did — in crores, straight from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), from hosting IPL matches, and from sponsorships. What followed was a loot that would make even hardened scamsters blush.
When the BCCI finally forced HCA to undergo a forensic audit, it was nothing short of a bombshell. Investigators unearthed diversion of funds, misappropriation, payments made without any supporting documents, and deliberate overbilling.
The most brazen example was the clothing scam. Bills worth ₹2.43 crore were raised for cricket kits, tracksuits, and jerseys. But auditors found that the actual requirement should not have exceeded ₹40–50 lakh. This wasn’t a case of sloppy accounting — it was daylight robbery, with inflated bills used to siphon off money.
Also read: https://orangenews9.com/who-ruined-hyderabad-cricket-part-xxviii/
And this was not an isolated case. Everywhere auditors looked, they found the same pattern: false invoices, duplicate claims, and payments sanctioned without services rendered.
The rot was not confined to the Apex Council alone. Member associations themselves refused to submit audited accounts, even though it was mandatory under HCA’s own bylaws. For years, crores were disbursed to clubs in the name of “cricket development,” with no proof of how the money was used.
Many of these clubs had no grounds, no players, and no coaches. Some existed only on paper but enjoyed full voting rights in HCA elections. Their only real function was to channel funds and swing votes during elections. Cricket, ironically, was the last thing on their minds.
Among the most shocking revelations was how the medical bills and insurance premiums of Presidents and Secretaries were passed off as cricket expenses. Between them, office bearers pocketed nearly ₹56 lakh in reimbursements for personal treatment and insurance.
Also read: https://orangenews9.com/who-ruined-hyderabad-cricket-episode-xxvi/
When confronted, their excuse was laughable: these were “welfare measures.” Welfare for whom? Certainly not for players who had to buy their own shoes, pay their own travel, and beg for match allowances. Welfare was reserved only for those sitting in the HCA offices, milking the system.
Equally brazen was the League Committee scam. Nearly ₹67 lakh was shown as payments to the League Committee and another ₹29 lakh towards their honorariums. But here’s the catch: the committee never even met. No reports, no minutes, no recommendations. Just bills passed and cheques encashed.
In any professional body, such blatant misuse would have resulted in sackings and prosecutions. In Hyderabad, it was business as usual. Those who signed off on such payments continued to contest elections and present themselves as “guardians of cricket.”
Also read: https://orangenews9.com/who-ruined-hyderabad-cricket-part-xxv/
HCA also distributed crores of rupees to clubs in the name of development. In theory, this was to improve grounds, set up turf wickets, and run coaching programs. In reality, much of this money vanished without a trace.
Auditors found that some clubs didn’t even have land or a ground of their own, yet received lakhs. A few used the money for token purchases — a matting wicket here, a net there — just enough to show “utilization.” But the bulk of the funds were siphoned off. And because no audited accounts were filed, there was no way to track the misuse.
This is why Hyderabad’s cricket infrastructure remains in shambles even today. Grounds are uneven, pitches are poorly maintained, and many budding cricketers are forced to train on mats rather than turf. The money meant for their development was eaten away by those sworn to protect it.
Also read: https://orangenews9.com/who-ruined-hyderabad-cricket-part-xxiv/
The loot wasn’t just about personal enrichment. It also became the currency of election manipulation. Ahead of HCA elections, office bearers openly promised “packages” to clubs — development funds, reimbursements, or committee posts. Some even offered direct cash.
One member candidly admitted to auditors that he had been offered money and contracts in exchange for votes. Others revealed that clubs were promised lavish perks, from grounds maintenance to foreign junkets, provided they supported the ruling faction.
This is why conflicts of interest weren’t investigated, why audits were delayed, and why accountability never came. Everyone was complicit, bound together in a cartel where loyalty was purchased with cricket’s own money.
Also read: https://orangenews9.com/who-ruined-hyderabad-cricket-part-xxii/
While all this was happening, players — the very reason the HCA exists — were treated as expendable. Match fees were delayed, allowances withheld, and selections manipulated. Youngsters who couldn’t afford to grease palms were thrown out, no matter their talent.
Many former players recounted how they had to pool money for travel to outstation tournaments. Compare this to the lakhs spent on “medical bills” of officials or the crores wasted on bogus clothing bills, and the hypocrisy becomes unforgivable.
The audit’s findings leave no doubt: HCA was not a cricket body but a loot machine. Every loophole in the system — absence of audits, failure to enforce rules, lack of conflict disclosures — was exploited to siphon off money.
What is equally damning is the silence of successive Apex Councils. Even when confronted with evidence, they avoided taking action. Files were shelved, whistleblowers targeted, and honest officials sidelined.
But as outrageous as these financial scams were, they were not the end. HCA’s corruption did not stop at the bank account. It seeped into the very fabric of the game — matches manipulated, scoresheets doctored, tournaments staged for money, and stadiums left to decay until IPL franchises threatened to walk away.
That is the cesspool we wade into next. Coming up: Fake Matches, Fixed Scoresheets, and Stadium Neglect.
