Mohammad Azharuddin\'s Hyderabad Cricket Association plans gain momentum

Hyderabad: Newly elected president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association Mohammad Azharuddin met the Chief Minister's son and Minister for Information and Technology K. Taraka Rama Rao along with members of the Apex Council, triggering rumours that he is set to join the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi Party.

The former Indian cricket captain suddenly finds that there is too much on his plate. “We have to work with the State government, which is also keen on developing the game,” Azhar said while speaking to reporters after the meet.

“We want to have all the 33 districts in the Hyderabad Cricket Association. It is very, very important because the districts have been neglected all this while. We want to help develop the game in the districts and draw talent from there into the Association,” he added.

The District discourse is sounding music to the ears to many who have been championing the cause of the lesser privileged players in the rural areas.

“This is great news. It's a victory for us who have been fighting for them for none years. I trust Azhar will do justice to areas that have been overlooked over the years,” said Sunil Babu Kolanpaka, founder secretary of Cricket Association of Telangana which has been conducting tournaments at the school level on the districts.

Reposing faith in the new president, he added: “We have always supported Azhar and stood by him, moreso when he was stopped from entering the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium last year. In fact, I had gone on record to say that he would become the next president.”

Allotment of clubs to Districts is the way forward according to Sunil. “The HCA needs to set up as many clubs in the districts as there are in Hyderabad, which is over 150-plus. Only then can the game be improved all over the State,’’ he said.

Asked about the legal cases that entangle the HCA, Azhar put the ball in the Courts' court. “Whatever is to be decided, will be done there. We have taken charge just today and to make all sorts of allegations is not right,’’ he said.