HCA Ombudsman Orders Azharuddin’s Name Removed from Stadium Stand

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) Ombudsman has ordered that Mohammed Azharuddin’s name be removed from the North Pavilion Stand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal. The order, issued by former acting Chief Justice V. Eswaraiah, also says that no tickets should carry Azharuddin’s name.

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The matter goes back to 2019, when Azharuddin was the HCA president. On November 25 that year, during an Apex Council meeting led by him, the decision was made to name the North Stand the ‘Azharuddin Stand.’ At the time, the stand was known as the V.V.S. Laxman Pavilion.

Earlier this year, on February 28, a complaint was filed by Lords Cricket Club (LCC), a local club and one of the 226 HCA members. They said the decision broke HCA rules. According to Rule 38, an Apex Council member isn’t allowed to make decisions that benefit themselves.

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Azharuddin has denied any wrongdoing and says he will challenge the order in the High Court.

“There is no conflict of interest here. I don’t want to comment too much—I won’t stoop to this level. People in the cricket world will laugh at this. I played for 17 years and captained India for almost 10 years. Is this how you treat cricketers in Hyderabad? It’s very sad. We will definitely go to court. Let the law take its own course,” he told The Hindu.

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Meanwhile, LCC welcomed the decision.

“This shows our commitment to transparency and fairness. We thank the authorities for handling it properly,” said the club’s treasurer, Somna Misra.

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