HCA Ordered to Remove Azhar Stand at Uppal Stadium

The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has been ordered to remove Mohammed Azharuddin's name from the North Pavilion Stand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The decision came from Justice V Eswaraiah, the HCA’s Ethics Officer and Ombudsman, following accusations of bias against the former India captain.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, the order was made after a formal complaint by Lords Cricket Club. The club pointed to a clear conflict of interest — citing that during his stint as HCA president in 2019, Azharuddin presided over an Apex Council meeting that led to the North Stand being renamed the ‘Azharuddin Stand’. Prior to that, it was known as the VVS Laxman Pavilion. The club argued that this move violated HCA’s own constitution, specifically Rule 38, which bars any member of the Apex Council from making decisions that directly benefit themselves. 

Azharuddin has strongly pushed back against the ruling and the accusations. He insists there’s no conflict of interest and has made it clear that he plans to challenge the decision in court. Speaking to Sportstar, Azhar said, “There’s no conflict of interest in this. I don’t want to comment, I don’t want to stoop to this level. The cricketing world will laugh at the association. Seventeen years of cricket, almost ten years as captain of the side, and with distinction. This is how you treat cricketers in Hyderabad. It’s a very sad state of affairs. We will go to the court, 100%. The law will take its course.” 

Meanwhile, Lords Cricket Club welcomed the decision. “This decision reinforces our commitment to transparency and integrity. We thank the authorities for their fair and just evaluation,” said LCC treasurer Somna Misra. In their petition, the club also requested that the stand be renamed to honour VVS Laxman again — reinstating the previous title in “all practical purposes, including but not limited to signages, ticket printing, etc.” Now, with Azharuddin ready to take legal action, the matter is far from over. But for now, the Ethics Officer’s order has put an end — at least temporarily — to a stand bearing his name. 

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