HCA Meet Turns Stormy After Azhar-Ayub Trade Barbs

Hyderabad: The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) was finally held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal on Sunday. 

Having been postponed for a long time, the Hyderabad Cricket Association's Apex Council decided to meet and discuss the long-pending appointments of the Ombudsman, CEO, Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), and other posts.

However, it was a stormy meeting as differences cropped up between President Mohammad Azharuddin and other stalwarts like N Shivlal Yadav, Arshad Ayub. 

Azharuddin mooted the idea of postponing the AGM citing a spike in Covid-19 cases. However, the association made elaborate arrangements for Sunday’s meeting. For the first time, the AGM was held in an open ground instead of the hall because of Covid-19.

According to sources, he wanted to convene an Apex Council meeting on Saturday itself. But the other members did not like the idea and wanted the already postponed AGM to go ahead as planned at least this time. 

The AGM was initially to be held in the first week of December but had to be put off owing to the GHMC elections 2021.

The meet in Uppal began peacefully concluding decisions on five important agendas like confirming minutes of previous meetings, adopting the secretary's report for 2017-18, treasurer’s report and auditing the financial statement of accounts for 2017-18, annual budget, and appointment of auditors and fixing their remuneration. 

However, while discussing the long-pending appointments of the Ombudsman and an ethics officer, tension escalated as Azharuddin insisted on everyone agreeing to his choice of candidate and other stalwarts like N Shivlal Yadav, Arshad Ayub opposed this decision.  

Several other members also opposed Azhar and gathered near the dias to raise slogans against him and insisted on majority opinion on matters of appointments.

Due to this, some important issues like audit reports for the years 2018-19 and 2019-20 were yet to be approved. 

However, the main agendas of the HCA annual general meeting which was stalled because of the disagreement will be taken up again on April 11th.

The following issues with be discussed with the following rules:

Appointment of cricket committees and standing committees in consideration with;

a. Report and recommendations of the apex council, The CEO, and the committees and propose policy directions to the apex council.

b. The report and recommendations of the governing council and to propose policy directions to the apex council.

c. Consideration of any motion, notice whereof is given by a full member to the secretary 21 days before the meeting.

d. To appoint the representative or representatives of the Hyderabad Cricket Association on the Board of Control for Cricket in India and/ or similar organizations.

e. To consider the report and recommendations of the apex council.

f. To consider any motion, notice whereof is given by a full member to the Secretary 21 days before the meeting.