Azharuddin gets relief as Telangana HC stays HCA’s name removal order

Hyderabad: In a major relief to the ex-India captain and former Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president, the Telangana High Court has temporarily paused the removal of Mohammad Azharuddin's name from the North Stand of the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal.

Single bench comprising Justice Pulla Karthik heard the writ petition filed by the former HCA president against the HCA’s Ombudsman and Ethics Officer's ruling which had ordered the removal of Azharuddin’s name from the stand, citing an alleged "conflict of interest".

The court directed the HCA authorities to halt any action to remove the former India skipper’s name from the North Stand until further notice.

Notably, Azharuddin served as the HCA president from 2019 to 2023. He chaired the Apex Council meeting on November 25, 2019 and authorised the renaming of the “VVS Laxman Pavilion” in his name.

Azharuddin had challenged the HCA’s Ombudsman and Ethics Officer's ruling in the high court. The HCA’s Ombudsman passed the order following a petition filed by Lords Cricket Club, an HCA member, accusing Azharuddin of arbitrary decision-making during his presidency. Treasurer Somna Misra, who represented the petitioner, claimed a case of ‘conflict of interest’ in Azharuddin’s controversial decision to rename the North Stand after him.

Senior Advocate K Ramakanth Reddy, representing Azharuddin in the high court, argued the delay of five years in filing the complaint. He said any decision to remove his name from the North Stand would tarnish the reputation of the former cricketer and also infringe on his rights under Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty.

While the counsel for the Lords Cricket Club maintained that the decision to name the North Stand after Mohammed Azharuddin’s name during his tenure as HCA president amounted to a conflict of interest. The matter was subsequently posted for further hearing.