HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president Mohammed Azharuddin has been issued a show-cause notice by the association's apex council for his alleged conflict of interest and other reasons. He has been suspended until an inquiry against him is complete.
The five-page notice also says that Azharuddin's membership of the HCA also stands cancelled until the inquiry is over. The council has given Azharuddin seven days to reply to the notice, dated June 15.
Among the allegations against Azharuddin, a former India captain, is that he has so far failed to disclose that he was a mentor of a private cricket club in Dubai that allegedly competes in tournaments not recognised by the Indian cricket board, thus raising the conflict of interest issue.
Another allegation is that Azharuddin tried to stall all the financial transactions and commitments of the HCA by sending a letter to the Canara Bank with which the association has an account.
Azharuddin held a press conference in Hyderabad on Thursday and alleged that five members of the nine-man HCA apex council — vice-president John Manoj, secretary R. Vijaynanad, joint secretary Naresh Sharma, treasurer Surender Agarwal, and councillor P. Anuradha — have ganged up against him.
"If five members — Sri. John Manoj, Vijayanand, Naresh Sharma, Surender Agarwal & Smt. Anuradha — gang up and call themselves 'Apex Council', by what sense of interpretation is it justified? I call it belligerent posturing with scant regard for the rule of law," said Azharuddin. IANS