Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) Apex Council has on Wednesday (June 16) removed former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin as the HCA President after complaints of the alleged violation of rules.
The Apex Council has terminated Azharuddin as HCA President as well as his HCA membership and issued a show-cause notice to the former cricketer, saying he will be on suspension till the completion of the inquiry on allegations leveled against him.
Since taking over the charge as HCA President on 27 September 2019, the state association has been witnessing a constant murmuring with the state body members alleging Azharuddin taking unilateral decisions without consulting the panel that “are detrimental to the interest of HCA and cricket.”
It is being said that action would be taken against Azharuddin if he does not provide a proper explanation within a week of receiving the notice that was issued on June 15 against the allegations.
The Apex Council said in the show cause notice: “After considering the complaints made by the members against you (Azharuddin), it was decided at the Apex Council meeting on the 10th of this month to issue a show-cause notice on the ground that you have acted in violation of the rules. The Apex Council is suspending you and your membership of HCA is being terminated until completion of the inquiry on these complaints.”
The show-cause notice further reads, “The Apex Council is left with no option but to issue the show cause notice and invoking 40 (6) pending inquiry and proceeding into complaints and charges of misconduct the Apex Council has suspended you until final adjudication that included termination of your membership in HCA setting out the below mentioned details.
The Council in its meeting held on June 10 has decided after careful consideration of various complaints made by the members of the general body and also on its volition had duly deliberated about your various acts of commission and omission in its meeting held and has decided to issue the show-cause notice to you according to Rule 41 (1) (b) and 15 (4) (c).”
The notice added, “The complaint (against Azhar) discloses that you are a mentor of a private cricket club in Dubai by name Northern Warriors which participates in a T10 cricket tournament which is unrecognized by the BCCI,” the show-cause mentioned. The fact of you being a mentor has not been communicated to the HCA at any time.”
It concluded, “It is also apparent that you have not communicated the same to the BCCI. Therefore you being a mentor of an unrecognized tournament comes under the ambit of conflict of interest as envisaged under Rule 38 (1) (iii) of the Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations 2018 of HCA.”
(With Sportstar inputs)
