HYDERABAD: Mohammad Azharuddin, president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association, has termed the showcause notice sent to him by his rivals, on the “advice of the HCA apex council”, as “malafide and illegal”.
The showcause is in reaction to a notice issued by Azharuddin to the apex council members two months ago.
According to local media, it is perhaps for the first time that the association has issued a showcause notice to an serving president.
Azharuddin and the HCA apex council have been involved in a bitter struggle for power. In the BCCI’s recent Special General Meeting, Azharuddin had scored over the apex council when he represented the HCA at the SGM. The apex council’s choice to attend the meeting was Shivlal Yadav, former secretary of the association and former interim president of the BCCI.
In a press statement released on Thursday, Azharuddin stated that the coterie of tainted members who are facing an inquiry by the Ombudsman under rule 41 (i) b, have no authority to send him a showcause notice at this stage.
The statement issued by Azharuddin reads: “It is public knowledge that the coterie of members is attending the courts facing charges of corruption that involve kickbacks and misappropriation of public money. They include vice president John Manoj, secretary R. Vijayanand, joint secretary Naresh Sharma, and treasurer Surender Agarwal.
“Their profiles are readily available on public domain for everyone to see. This is what I have been mentioning for the last two months. Corruption will run through as long as the corrupt stay in power. The money meant to be spent for the poor but talented cricketers will continue to be swallowed up as long as these corrupt people stay in power.”
