MS Shanker
The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) appears to be sinking deeper into crisis under its Acting President Sardar Daljit Singh, who has once again courted controversy by convening a Special General Body Meeting (SGM) in defiance of the association’s by-laws and amid a host of unresolved disputes.
A letter dated August 14, issued by Daljit Singh, unilaterally called for an SGM on Sunday, September 14. The stated purpose: to “approve earlier amendments” to the HCA’s constitution. But critics argue this move is not just procedurally flawed; it is legally untenable.
Leading the opposition is Classic Cricket Club secretary Ramakrishna Udupa, who has emerged as the most consistent voice against the HCA’s ad-hoc functioning. In a strongly worded letter dated August 16, Udupa reminded Daljit Singh of repeated irregularities, questioning why earlier objections and complaints had been ignored.
Udupa minced no words in calling the SGM premature and illegitimate. “Fundamental issues arising out of the conduct of the 87th AGM and the so-called Adjourned AGM remain wholly unresolved. The minutes of both meetings have not even been circulated. Members are in the dark and deprived of their right to informed participation. Yet, an SGM is being called as if everything has attained finality,” he wrote. That apart, its appointment of Ombudsman and Ethics officer, is also illegal and cannot stand judicial scrutiny.
According to him, the Adjourned AGM itself was reduced to a perfunctory six-minute exercise, raising doubts about whether the SGM would fare any better. “The Apex Council presently lacks quorum as well as moral standing to convene a meeting of such importance,” Udupa observed, stressing that amendments to by-laws could only be legitimate if circulated to all members in advance and passed transparently, not arbitrarily.
His objections go further, striking at the credibility of those driving the process. “It is wholly inappropriate that office bearers against whom corruption charges, supported by documentary proof, have been submitted, are still being allowed to participate in framing or amending bye-laws. This creates the perception that amendments may be misused as a shield for those very individuals.”
He also sought clarity on whether the By-laws Amendment Committee proposed during the AGM was ever constituted, whether any report was prepared, and why—if it exists—it has not been shared with members. The cumulative effect of such irregularities, Udupa argued, “is to erode the trust of members and perpetuate the opacity and arbitrariness that have plagued HCA’s functioning.”
The timing and manner of the SGM have raised wider alarm among club secretaries. Several have questioned whether the Acting President sought the consent of the state High Court-appointed One-man Committee, Justice Naveen Rao, which supposed to oversee the function of the Apex Council?. “If he did consult him, why is that not mentioned in the notice? If he didn’t, then what legitimacy does this SGM hold?” one club secretary asked, reflecting the unease among stakeholders.
Many believe Daljit Singh is being misled by self-styled “legal advisers” and entrenched “power brokers” who have long dictated terms within the HCA. The suspicion is that the attempt to tinker with the by-laws is not about reform but about protection—ensuring those facing allegations of corruption and misuse of funds remain insulated. “This is nothing but an effort to bail out individuals who served the association for years, indulged in questionable practices, and now want the rules rewritten to suit them,” remarked another secretary.
The episode underscores the deep rot in Hyderabad cricket’s administration, where every attempt at reform seems to be hijacked by factional power struggles. With cases of corruption still pending in courts and with even routine meetings conducted without transparency or quorum, the HCA’s credibility is at its lowest ebb.
Yet, instead of taking corrective measures or heeding advice, the Acting President has chosen confrontation—pushing through an SGM that, by all accounts, lacks both legality and legitimacy. Unless the Ombudsman steps in, many fear the HCA will continue down the path of arbitrariness, further eroding whatever trust remains among players, clubs, and cricket lovers.
For an association once meant to nurture cricketing talent, this latest move only reinforces the perception that power and politics—not the sport—are driving decisions at the Hyderabad Cricket Association.
