Slog overs in Hyderabad Cricket Association before one-dayer

Hyderabad: All is not well with the Supervisory Committee that the Supreme Court appointed to oversee the management of affairs of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), with its chairman Justice (Retd) Nisar Ahmad Kakru saying the members had been trying to undercut him and act beyond the brief laid out by the apex court.

In a 24-page letter, Justice Kakru particularly named former Ranji Trophy cricketer Vanka Prathap as attempting to usurp the power of the committee.

Some members had been slating meetings without his approval, Justice Kakru wrote. “It is notable that the power to regulate the meetings has been vested in me by dint of resolution dated 26.09.2022 passed by the Supervisory Committee unanimously.”

The retired judge accused Prathap of trying to assume the supervisory committee’s powers, saying he had “issued letters and emails for and on behalf of the Supervisory Committee in contravention to the unanimous resolution of the Supervisory Committee dated 26.09.2022 and recklessly in violation of the order of the Supreme Court order dated 22.08.2022.”

Powers of the body

“The Supreme Court has empowered the Supervisory Committee to supervise the management of affairs of the Hyderabad Cricket Association but not to manage the affairs of the HCA. Authorising a member of the committee to be part of the management of HCA is patently the violation of the order,” Justice Kakru wrote.

“It is therefore unimaginable to have authorised Mr Vanka Prathap to be part of the management of One-Day International (India vs New Zealand) match,” scheduled to be played in Hyderabad on Wednesday, he said.

“I am not a party to any decision of the Supervisory Committee, authorising Mr Vanka Prathap to be part of the management of the HCA. Regarding authorisation by the other two members, I believe it is not so because in my perception deliberation by one or two or three members on behalf of the 4-member Supervisory Committee, may amount to wilful violation of the order of the Supreme Court,” Justice Kakru wrote.

“In that view, a meeting in absence of even one member of the Supervisory Committee cannot be construed to be a meeting of the Supervisory Committee and any decision by one or two or three is invalid ab-initio, consequently incapable of implementation,” he added.

Justice Kakru also referred to a letter of the Supervisory Committee signed by Vanka Prathap and DGP Anjani Kumar declaring the resolution of the requisitionists-members (HCA club secretaries who held an AGM on 16.12.2022) choosing V. Sampath Kumar, former chief election commissioner, as Election Officer as invalid. “It is a decision of two esteemed members but it is not the decision of the Supervisory Committee,” he wrote.

Call for elections

However, “fact remains that the Supreme Court has not stayed the process of election and has not authorised the Supervisory Committee to withhold the process of election until completion of the inquiry entrusted to it. That being so, the Supervisory Committee lacks the power to stay the process of appointment of the election officer and process of election. Thwarting the election process which is overdue is a sheer abuse of power,” he added.

Justice Kakru said that the Supreme Court order did not direct ‘Cleaning/ clearing of Electoral rolls’ as mentioned by some members.

Azhar term over

Justice Kakru said he had no personal agenda against Md Azharuddin but his term as president was over. “I would like to place it on record that I have not suggested Mr Mohammad Azharuddin’s ouster because of his wrong doing but because he has completed three years as President in terms of ‘the Hyderabad Cricket Association Rules and Regulations 2018’ on 26.09.2022,” he wrote.

“I said it on 24.11.2022; I reiterate it today because Rules mandate it so. In this behalf I had to say something more that is relevant enough but regard being had to the fact that One-Day International cricket match is on the cards, I choose to stop here,” he added.

In this context, Justice Kakru quoted Prathap against Azhar via a Whatsapp message to him that read: “I was told about `18 crore coming to Hyderabad Cricket Association from the BCCI and also Azharuddin is issuing unauthorised letters of appointments, increase in salaries and conducting of league matches. Sir, I feel our committee should issue a letter stating he is no more president and cannot function anymore in that capacity as their term is completed on 26th September 2022.”

Justice Kakru also hinted that he had received a veiled threat. “Through one of the representations I am advised by a well behaving gentleman that I should acknowledge the honest work of Mr Mohammad Azharuddin as President by extending cooperation to Mr Vanka Prathap in strengthening Mr Mohammad Azharuddin and if it is not acceptable to me I should resign from the Supervisory Committee,” he wrote.

Now, he is seeking minutes of the meetings held behind his back. “I haven’t been provided copies of the minutes despite my repeated requests,” he wrote requesting the minutes be submitted to him “on or before 16.01.2023 to enable him to annex copies thereof with his report to be submitted to the Supreme Court.”