HCA president Azharuddin expresses reservations about chairman Kakru

In a strongly worded letter to the members of SC-appointed Supervisory Committee, Azharuddin accused its chairman of 'Conflict of Interest'.

Hyderabad: Former India captain and current Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president Mohammed Azharuddin, in a strongly worded letter addressed to the members of Supreme Court-appointed Supervisory Committee, has accused its chairman Justice (Retd) Nissar Ahmed Kakru of ‘Conflict of Interest’.

The Supreme Court had back on August 22, formed a Supervisory Committee led by Kakru (former Chief Justice of Andhra High Court), Anjani Kumar, DG (ACB) Telangana State, former cricketers Venkatapathy Raju and Vanka Pratap. The committee was formed to ensure smooth administrative functioning of HCA, which has witnessed internal squabbling among its senior members for years.

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However, Azharuddin, in a letter to the committee, had alleged that Kakru is “promoting and espousing the cause of opposing group members”. Azhar’s opposition group comprises his long-time adversaries and former India off-spinners Shivlal Yadav and Arshad Ayub along with Shesh Narayan and Adnan Mahmood.

“First of all, I had my own reservations to the appointment of Justice (Retd) N A Kakru as the Chairman of the Supervisory Committee & his very selection to the committee,” Azhar wrote in his letter to the committee, alleging ‘Conflict of Interest’. “….Justice (Retd) N A Kakru had been propped up as the alternate candidate for appointment as the Ombudsman by the opposing group in the HCA AGM held on April 7, 2021. This was after Justice Deepak Verma’s appointment was already made & was upheld by the Hon’ble High Court of Telangana in CRP 117/2021. “Justice Kakru at the that time presumably consented to his appointment in HCA & his appointment as Ombudsman finds a mention in the minutes of AGM circulated by the opposing group which is subject matter in OP 262/2021 and is pending trial.

“With this background, the appointment of Justice NA Kakru as a member of the Supervisory Committee of HCA, would appear to be a case of conflict of interest to any ordinary mind.” For Azhar, his main objection is Kakru supporting “sinister agenda” of Shivlal and Ayub, who are allegedly pushing for “fraudulent memberships”.

“Further, it is my understanding that Justice (Retd) N A Kakru is promoting & espousing the cause of the opposing group comprising of Adnan Mahmood, Shivlal Yadav, Arshad Ayub, Seshnarayan, who were instrumental in promoting his candidature for appointment as Ombudsman & promoting their sinister agenda of pushing the fraudulent memberships under the carpet & is in a hurry to declare my term as ended & hold elections with a fraudulent electoral roll.”

Azhar further accused the rival faction of trying to stop his bid of cleaning the mess surrounding HCA cricket.

“There is no order on the end of my term as President HCA. I have raised complaints against fraudulent memberships in HCA & these have been continuing since the last 20 years. I discovered the depth of this fraud after I took over as president in 2019.

“I made my best efforts to clean the fraud through the Ombudsman but unfortunately, politics prevailed over my quest for a clean structure in the association that has made me an international cricketer. As the enquiry by Ombudsman HCA did not happen, I preferred to raise the same issues before the Supervisory Committee,” he wrote.

Azhar wrote that members of the committee should look into Kakru’s alleged Conflict of Interest. “To make sure that the supervisory committee is able to do its work in a fair manner, it is my humble request that the Conflict of Interest of Justice (Retd) N A Kakru as member of the Supervisory Committee may be taken on record by the supervisory committee & appropriate action may be initiated to resolve the conflict,” Azhar said.