Azhar waves rule book on nominee

Now, it’s tennis at the Hyderabad Cricket Association. A day after secretary R. Vijayanand’s statement appointing N. Shivlal Yadav as HCA’s representative at the BCCI’s Special General Meeting scheduled to be held online on May 29, president Mohammed Azharuddin questioned the nomination waving the rule book. The gentlemen have kicked up a racket.

In a statement, Azhar termed the secretary’s statement ‘another comedy show’ even as the cricket body has become laughing stock. The joke is certainly on the HCA.

“With all due respect to my senior colleague in the cricketing arena Sri Shivlal Yadav, I would like to affirmatively state that Mr Shivlal Yadav has completed 17 years of cumulative tenure as an office bearer in the HCA — as joint secretary from 19922000 and secretary from

2000-2008,” Azhar said. He then pointed to the Constitution. “Rule 6(5)(f) of the constitution states “A person shall be disqualified from being a representative to the BCCI if he/she has been an office bearer of a State Association or the BCCI for a cumulative period of 9 years.”

Azhar attempted to rub it in by saying “the rule is self-explanatory for anyone who can read English reasonably well.”

● Having completed more than 9 years of cumulative tenure as an office bearer in the HCA, Shivlal Yadav is not eligible to represent it at the BCCI meeting.

Terming the Apex Council members bulldozing brigade, he accused them of “firing from the shoulders of a senior cricketer & administrator” and exhorted the members to step up and make their voice heard.

With regard to the disputed process of hiring the CEO, Azhar went ballistic against the secretary and alleged a part of “the Apex Council only meets to save their clubs in the guise of governance.”

“They want to use their bulldozer majority to demean and discredit institutions by their actions and ensure that their proxy control is continued by installing a puppet CEO through a sham process. Now that he has gone on record to admit that all processes under 23(1)(3)(4) have been complied with, I will write to the BCCI to audit the process of hiring of the CEO to make sure that it was in compliance with the constitutional provisions,” Azhar concluded.

Should the volleys continue to fly back-and-forth, the gutsy men might shift their game to court of a different kind to settle scores.