In a significant setback for former Indian cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, the Hyderabad Cricket Association has been instructed to remove the stand named after him at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium due to a conflict of interest involving the former HCA president, as reported by Cricbuzz.
The HCA has also been directed to ensure that tickets no longer bear Azharuddin’s name. The order was issued by Justice V. Eswaraiah, the HCA’s ethics officer and Ombudsman, on Saturday, April 19. Eswaraiah stated that the situation constitutes a conflict of interest, as Azharuddin, a former India captain and HCA president, had made decisions in his own favor.
“The fact that there has been no ratification/modification of the decision by the General Body further strengthens the case against the Respondent No. 1 (Azharuddin), as the Respondent No. 1 has exceeded his authority to benefit himself,” Eswaraiah said in his 25-page verdict.
A complaint was lodged on February 28, 2025, by the Lords Cricket Club (LCC), a Hyderabad-based organization and one of the 226 members of the Hyderabad Cricket Association. LCC argued that the decision to name the stand after Azharuddin violated the Memorandum of Association and the Rules & Regulations of the HCA.
LCC Wants North Stand Renamed Back to WS Laxman, Opposes Azharuddin’s Change
LCC requested Justice Eswaraiah to revoke Azharuddin’s unilateral action of renaming the North Stand after himself and urged that it be restored to its previous name, the WS Laxman Stand, for all practical purposes, including signage and ticket printing.
The complaint stated that Azharuddin’s action was illegal and arbitrary, with no approval from the General Body or the Apex Council for renaming the stand from ‘WS Laxman Pavilion’ to the ‘Mohammed Azharuddin Stand’.
During an Apex Council meeting on November 25, 2019, which Azharuddin chaired, a decision was made to rename the North Stand, previously known as the VVS Laxman Pavilion, after Azharuddin. Azharuddin has rejected all allegations of a conflict of interest and stated that he plans to challenge Eswaraiah’s order in the High Court.
“There’s no conflict of interest in this. I don’t want to comment, I don’t want to stoop to this level. The cricketing world will laugh at the association. 17 years of cricket, almost 10 years as captain of the side, and with distinction,” Azharuddin said while speaking to The Hindu.
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