MS Shanker
After two relentless exposés — “Who Ruined Hyderabad Cricket?” and “How to Revive Hyderabad Cricket?” — I have now reached a painful but inescapable conclusion: the real rot within the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) lies not only with its office-bearers, but deep within its affiliated clubs themselves.
These clubs, over 200 in number, are the lifeblood of HCA’s structure — and the bloodstream is poisoned. Each club secretary, the supposed guardian of grassroots cricket, is assured of an annual payout of ₹6–8 lakh from the HCA’s game promotion funds, routed from the BCCI. Many quietly pocket another ₹5–6 lakh or more by sub-leasing or other dubious “arrangements.” Add to that the perks of being appointed to selection committees, coaching panels, or support staff — jobs that many are neither qualified for nor ethically entitled to — and you see how the entire structure is rigged for self-enrichment.
The Hyderabad Cricket Association’s latest appointments have once again made a mockery of the BCCI and HCA Constitutions’ Conflict-of-Interest rule. Club owners and their family members have found their way into coaching and support staff roles, openly defying ethical boundaries.
Under-19: Sharat Mudiraj has been appointed as Fielding Coach. He is the owner and son of the Secretary of Sai Satya Cricket Club. This is a direct violation, compounded by the fact that a player from the same club — Gone Prem — is part of the U-19 Vinoo Mankad Hyderabad team. Two conflicts from one club alone.
Under-23: M. Sailesh Kumar, Secretary of S.N. Group Cricket Club, currently serves as the team’s Performance Analyst. He, however, denies any conflict of interest, claiming that he has “not received even a rupee from the HCA.” He also asserts that he is qualified for the role, stating, “I am certified by the BBC. Though BCCI offered me an opportunity, I chose to serve my state team. I applied and got selected on merit.” He further clarifies that he is receiving only a professional fee and had no role in the selection or composition of the U-23 squad, as the final decisions rest with the captain and team manager.
Under-14: J. Anshul, Secretary of PJLCC, has been appointed Fielding Coach.
Under-19: Team Manager Mahender Goud doubles up as Secretary of Times Cricket Club.
Several of these individuals, who once posed as “reformers,” now wear two hats — as club secretaries and as team staff, analysts, or selectors. Legally dubious, morally and ethically indefensible — this is how the HCA continues to operate, with impunity and arrogance.
A retired bureaucrat once told me bluntly: “You won’t find even half a dozen selfless secretaries among HCA’s 200-plus clubs.” After writing more than 70 articles exposing corruption, nepotism, and misuse of BCCI funds, I now concede — he was absolutely right.
From Mansingh to Mayhem
The rot didn’t start overnight. The downfall began when a group of former Test cricketers, masquerading as reformists, floated the so-called Players’ Panel to oust P.R. Mansingh, arguably the last relatively competent administrator to have steered Hyderabad cricket with integrity. Ironically, Mansingh — now in the twilight of his life — may be regretting grooming some of these very individuals, who went on to become administrators themselves and betrayed his legacy.
The judiciary, too, has tried — and failed — to clean this cesspool. Former Chief Justice V.K. Kakru, appointed by the Supreme Court as administrator, quit in frustration. His internal report, running into nearly 20 pages, detailed how one of the cricketers assigned to assist him misled him deliberately and obstructed every effort at reform.
Undeterred, the Supreme Court appointed Justice L. Nageswara Rao, himself from Hyderabad, hoping that his familiarity with local cricket would help. But he, too, was ensnared in the same web of deceit and vested interests. Relying on a few “advisors” — former players with their own axes to grind — Rao’s tenure only deepened the chaos. Instead of purging the conflict-ridden club secretaries, his committee ended up legitimizing some of their presence, ensuring that the same manipulators retained control.
Justice Rao to Justice Rao — Same Story, Different Judge
And now, under Justice Naveen Rao, the story continues. Coaches, selectors, analysts, and support staff are still handpicked by the same power brokers — some of whom have perfected the art of “honey-trapping” administrators to secure jobs for their kin or cronies. The High Court’s oversight, meant to ensure transparency, has instead become a helpless spectator.
Over three months into his tenure, Justice Naveen Rao has done little to inspire confidence. The same brokers have crawled back into the system, running selections and committees like their private fiefdoms. The irony is glaring — the HCA currently has only two elected officials, Vice President Sardar Daljit Singh and Joint Secretary Basavaraju, both of whom face serious allegations and conflicts of interest.
It’s time for Justice Rao to crack the whip and deliver justice. If necessary, he should recommend fresh elections while inducting a few respected veterans as advisors — individuals with no vested interest in promoting their kith and kin. These veterans, perhaps engaged on a reasonable consultancy basis, can help restore the primacy of merit over manipulation, while identifying and sidelining the habitual brokers and honey-trappers who continue to infest the system.
If required, the learned judge should seek the High Court’s permission to bar certain club owners who still control 20–25 clubs and wield disproportionate influence. Even the prospect of such action before the next elections could send a much-needed chill down the spines of errant club secretaries. He must also halt further funding to rogue affiliated clubs and order a thorough forensic audit to bring transparency and accountability to the HCA’s functioning — and, in doing so, earn the distinction of being a true reformer.
The Silent Watchers — ACB and BCCI
Equally complicit are the state agencies. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which once investigated the HCA and listed 26–28 officials for financial irregularities, seems to have gone into hibernation. Despite massive BCCI funds flowing since the early 2000s — from the stadium’s construction to alleged embezzlement in cricket development schemes — the ACB probe fizzled out quietly.
Even Justice L. Nageswara Rao’s report, which my investigative series partially reproduced, stopped short of naming the culprits. The story remains incomplete — the guilty remain untouched, and Hyderabad cricket continues to bleed.
Nepotism in Full Swing
The recent appointments within the association only reaffirm how shamelessly nepotism operates. A former Test cricketer’s brother has managed to sneak into the Apex Council as a “Players’ Representative,” while another influential fixer ensured his daughter’s selection into the state women’s team despite a dismal record. Her poor performance against a lesser team like Tripura only exposes how deep the rot runs.
The same can be said about the appointment of coaches and support staff — decisions made not on merit but manipulated by club secretaries who have secured committee berths through influence, not cricketing credentials. The result is visible on the field: Hyderabad’s senior and junior teams are performing abysmally, a reflection of the decay off the field.
The Forgotten Districts — A Tale of Lost Dreams
While the Hyderabad-based clubs loot funds and monopolize opportunities, aspiring cricketers from Telangana’s 33 districts remain forgotten. These players, many from rural and semi-urban backgrounds, never get a fair chance to represent the state. Their frustration has fuelled the parallel rise of the Telangana Cricket Association (TCA), which has waged a long legal battle for BCCI recognition — and with good reason. In a just system, these players would not need a separate platform to chase their dreams.
A Call for Central Intervention
The answer lies in decisive administrative intervention — either from the BCCI itself or, if necessary, from the Union government under the new National Sports Policy.
For too long, the BCCI has enjoyed “autonomy” while turning a blind eye to corrupt state associations, fearing the loss of their votes. It’s time the Centre cracks the whip. The HCA, along with its conflict-ridden state associations and affiliated clubs, deserves nothing less than suspension and complete reconstitution. Only a full-scale administrative takeover, free from local influence, can restore credibility to Hyderabad cricket.
Until then, to borrow from a cricketer’s phrase, the pitch is doctored, the players are compromised, and the game itself has been fixed.
