HCA sounds death knell for institutional teams

There is uproar in the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) over its move to bar some institutional teams from playing in the leagues this year. Reputed teams like Andhra Bank and BDL were prevented from taking part in the A-1 (3-day) Division which commenced last week. Hyderabad Bottling too were suspended from the league. Andhra Bank has had a rich legacy and have been consistent performers over the years. BDL too have boasted of players who have turned out for Hyderabad and Andhra.In fact, former India stumper MSK Prasad traded his wares for BDL in the local league.

Briefing newsmen here on Saturday evening, HCA's EC member RM Bhaskar, who along with Chitti Sridhar and Babu Rao were suspended by the HCA last year, said it was very unfortunate. "I want to ask the president (Arshad Ayub) if he wants to promote cricket or destroy the career of promising youngsters. The reason they have given for stopping these teams is that they don't have employees playing for them," he said.

"Agreed that the Constitution says that only employees are eligible to play for Institutional teams. But that has been the rule for a long time. Ayub has been in the HCA for more than two decades and why didn't he stop the teams from playing earlier.

"Recruitments have stopped a long time back and what did the HCA do about it? Did Ayub write to the Institutions and encourage them to recruit players? Why has he ta ken this decision now? Why didn't he inform the teams before the identity cards were made? By issuing hem ID cards and now barring the teams, hasn't he deprived players from participating in the league?" he questioned.

"The whole modus operandi is to slowly eliminate all the Institutional teams. They have started with the 3-day teams and once the 2-day and 1-day leagues get going we may see some more teams being barred," he added.

Bhaskar said that players like GH Vihari, DB Ravi Teja and former India player Pragyan Ojha have left the state because the standards of the game have gone down drastically. "Ayub said that Vihari left because he wanted to further his career prospects. Why are the players feeling that being in Hyderabad will be detrimental to their career? Isn't it a shameful statement that players who have led the Hyderabad team are leaving like this," he said.

Former EC member T Shesh Narayan said things are going bad to worse with the office-bearers becoming a law unto themselves. "I had got a court order to attend the AGM but was barred from doing so by the president. He has no respect for the courts or the laws and how can such a person be the head of an august body," he wondered.

Sridhar said that there were several FIRs registered against Ayub. "He has suffered a lot of losses in his business dealings and is now trying to recoup those by looting the HCA along with his cronies," he said.