New year, new hopes for Hyderabad Cricket Association

‘Grants received from BCCI is spent in the direction of development of the game’

By Vijay Mohan Raj

Hyderabad: We have crossed the year 2022 and for Hyderabad Cricket Association this will be a year that we as stake holders would like to leave behind.

To speculate on what we are hoping for to change in the New Year the turnaround from the horrible experience that cricket and cricket lovers of the city have faced in the year until 2022 is a subject I would venture to visualise.

I expect that from this year we see the deserving young aspirants who hope to represent HCA at various levels are selected in the State teams on their ability to play. This would happen if the selectors, coaches, support staff that are recruited to nurture talent are the best available that we can afford.

All the grants received from the Board of Control for Cricket in India is spent in the direction of development of the game rather than on non-consequential infrastructure that is not connected with the welfare of the game and the players.

We use the expertise of former players directly in raising the standards of the players rather than in management of the Association. This is my opinion based on the state of affairs at HCA in spite being managed by former players until now.

Our image of being an organisation that has corruption in selection has to be erased in the New Year and this can happen only if players, parents and selectors together say no to ‘touts’ who engage in manipulating the administrators who are at present enjoying absolute power.

The maxim “absolute power corrupts absolutely” is very relevant to the current dispensation at the Hyderabad Cricket Association.

In the new ear we would like to see entire local cricket being played on well-maintained grounds that have sporting turf cricket pitches. The tag of being national champions that we earned in the year 1987 would be revived in the year 2023.

Men and women cricketers would wear the State colours with pride and this would be the privilege of only those who deserve to play the game for Hyderabad.

The cricketing facility as provided by the HCA would be one of the best in the country and that would be adequately utilised by aspiring players to further their skills.

As a result of the above State would contribute several players to the various Indian teams and motivate the younger generation to idolise them and pursue the game.

In affect the year 2023 would be the year that would transform the game in Hyderabad to the golden era of development from the Dark Age that it finds itself as of now. Hopefully.

Let us look positive ahead not carry any excess baggage into the New Year.

-Writer is a former Hyderabad and Mumbai Ranji cricketer