Hyderabad Cricket Association row spills on to the road

'Interim president' John Manoj slams Azhar as police stop Apex Council members from entering Gymkhana

Hyderabad: The stand-off between Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president Mohammed Azharuddin and the Apex Council members took a nasty turn on Monday with the latter being prevented by the police from entering Gymkhana Ground.

The Apex Council members, were scheduled to hold a press conference to announce the schedule of the new season. Owing to the developments the members led by HCA vice-president John Manoj and secretary R Vijayanand were forced to address the media at the entrance of the gate.

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Apprehending trouble, Azharuddin reportedly sought security and this came after Ombudsman Justice (Retd) Deepak Verma had temporarily disqualified the five Apex Council members, including Manoj and Vijayanand on Sunday.

Manoj criticized Azharuddin for the development. “It is a cowardly act by Azharuddin. He has no right to prevent us from entering the ground. We came to announce the league schedule beginning from July 7, but were prevented from doing so by the police. It never happened in the history of the association,” he said.

Asked if they could be stopped from conducting the league matches, Manoj said they would go to court for justice. “We will have to go to the court. Azhar is destroying the careers of many young cricketers. Keep the Ombudsman subject separate. Let cricket continue,” he said adding that they would be going ahead with the Special General Meeting on July 18. ” We are ready to dissolve the body and go for fresh elections,” he added.

Later Manoj addressed the captains of participating teams on the road outside Gymkhana Grounds. Despite repeated calls, Azharuddin was unavailable for his comments.

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