Hyderabad cricketers form action body

Hyderabad, Sept 24: Holding Hyderabad Division Cricket Association (HDCA) squarely responsible for the ouster of Hyderabad Division from National one-day cricket championship and for restraining city's cricketers from playing in Junior cricket championship, leaders of Hyderabad cricketers action committee (HCAC) have appealed to chairman PCB ad hoc committee, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman and member Javed Zaman to hold elections of HDCA after detailed scrutiny of cricket clubs, said to be affiliated with the association.

They have made an impassioned appeal to PCB ad hoc committee official so to conduct a judicial inquiry in the affairs of HDC by a high court judge as the association had made a mess of cricket in the division.

They levelled serious charges against former HDCA officials and said that HDCA had done more harm than good to the cricket of the city and had deprived cricketers of playing cricket just for the sake of their own ego.

Addressing a well attended press conference at Hyderabad Press Club on Friday, convener HCAC Chaudhry Afzal Gujjar, member Amir Afzal Shah, Asghar Ghauri and Shakeel Qureshi said that it was the matter of personal ego of HDCA that's why they had obtained a stay order against national one day cricket championship and junior cricket championship with the result that Hyderabad was scrapped from current national one day championship "what is the fault and crime of our young budding cricketers".

It was a war between HDCA and PCB ad hoc committee then why our young boys are being crucified at the altar of HDCA's dispute with PCB. HDCA officials are on record having said that they do not want to drag cricketers in this dispute but the HDCA's stand belies its own claim", they lamented.

They pointed out that former HDCA's officials were holding posts without elections for the last ten years and that HDCA was being looked after by an acting president.

They lashed out at HDCA's acting president Yar Mohammad solangi for having made trips to foreign countries in capacity of National team's manager but never ever produced a cricketer of national or international stature from Hyderabad.

HCAC leaders pleaded that HDCA is also responsible for dilapidated condition of Niaz Stadium adding that HDCA used to get stadium on rent at rupees 100 per day and allowed departmental teams to play matches at stadium after receiving Rs 3000/- per day on account of rent.

They said that those who had raised their voice against alleged malpractices of HDCA were always sidelined. In this connection they cited the names of vice president, Asghar Ghauri, treasurer of HDCA Abdul Qadir and secretary district cricket association (DCA), late Mohammad Amin Rajput. They added that incumbent DCA's secretary Mahboob Sherwani was a hand-picked nominee of HDCA officials as he enjoyed their blessings. They disclosed that Afzal Sports Cricket Club which had organised to less than 150 cricket tournaments was banned by DCA without any rhyme or reason.

They were of the firm view that HDCA representatives had no interest at all in the promotion of cricket and that they had become major cause of sufferings of Hyderabad cricketers. They pledged to continue their struggle against the wrong-doings of HDCA. Lauding the services of PCB subcommittee for Hyderabad they said that sub committee had increased allowance of junior cricketers and provided cricket kits to 25-cricketer instead of 16-member squad.

They lambasted HMC's sports officer for favouring suspended HDCA officials. They added that sports officer did not bother to release water to the outfield resulting in its destruction. They observed that in a general body meeting of DCA out of 28 registered clubs, 24 clubs' secretaries had expressed no confidence in him.

They also accused HDCA of inducting those players in senior side who even did not appear in trials. They charged that last year outstanding cricketers like Ahmed Ali Jafri, Amir Ali and Thatta's Mansoor Chandio were not included in Hyderabad division and on the contrary 10-guest players were included to represent Hyderabad. They alleged that in the past such people were made managers of the side who even did not know the basics of cricket and argued that no general body meeting of association had so far been held while a council comprising 'nominees' was running the affairs of HDCA.

They also levelled allegations of financial malpractices against HDCA and in this context they referred to the amount of Rs 500,000 which was given by PCB following a match between Pakistan and India in September 1997 and declared to adopt legal course to get this matter decided.