NDC DESK
The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has removed former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin’s name from a stand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal.
Azharuddin, a former president of the HCA, was earlier honoured in 2019 with a stand named after him during a different administration.
Azharuddin played 99 Test matches and 334 One Day Internationals for India between 1984 and 2000 and captained the national team in three World Cups. In 2000, he was handed a life ban by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) following allegations of match-fixing. The ban was later overturned by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 2012, which deemed it “unsustainable.” However, the BCCI did not formally reinstate him.
According to HCA president K. John Manoj, who took charge in 2023, the removal was due to procedural lapses in the earlier naming decision. “This isn’t about any individual. We’re correcting a protocol error,” he stated.
During Azharuddin’s term as HCA president, internal conflicts and allegations of mismanagement were reported, though no legal action resulted.
A Hyderabad-based cricket club has since submitted a proposal to rename the stand after former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman. In a statement, the club noted Laxman’s contribution to Indian cricket and proposed the change in recognition of his career.
Azharuddin responded to the development on social media, writing, “The people of Hyderabad know my contribution.” Several former players and local fans have also commented on the matter.
As of now, the HCA has not confirmed a new name for the stand. The proposal to honour VVS Laxman is under review.
