Azharuddin Calls Removal of His Name from Uppal Stand Disrespectful
Mohammad Azharuddin, former captain of the Indian cricket team and former president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), has reacted strongly to the directive issued by the HCA Ombudsman to remove his name from the North Stand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad. Azharuddin stated that the move was disrespectful and announced his intention to challenge it legally by approaching the High Court.
Justice Eshwarayya, who currently serves as the HCA Ombudsman, recently issued a directive citing conflict of interest. In his order, the Ombudsman noted that the stand had been named after Mohammad Azharuddin during his tenure as HCA president, which he described as a case of conflict of interest. Justice Eshwarayya instructed the HCA to immediately remove Azharuddin’s name from the stand and also advised that the name should not appear on match tickets in the future.
In response to this development, Mohammad Azharuddin expressed his disappointment and anger in a media interaction. “There was no element of conspiracy or personal benefit in naming the stand after me. I do not wish to make extensive comments on this controversy. I do not want to stoop to that level. The cricketing world is laughing at this association,” said Mohammad Azharuddin.
He continued, “I played cricket for 17 years and captained the Indian team for nearly a decade. I passed with distinction as a captain. Is this how Hyderabad treats its cricketers? It is deeply painful.” He further added, “We will definitely go to court. I am fully confident that justice will prevail.”
Previously, until 2019, the North Stand had been named after former Indian cricketer V.V.S. Laxman. Subsequently, it was renamed as Mohammad Azharuddin Stand. The recent directive by the Ombudsman has reignited the controversy surrounding the stand’s renaming. The HCA has also been under scrutiny in recent times, particularly over the sale of IPL tickets. This latest development is expected to further intensify tensions within Hyderabad’s cricketing circles.