Former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin has been banned from contesting the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) elections for two years by the Supreme Court of India. This decision came on August 4, 2023, after the court found that Azharuddin had violated the BCCI constitution by not disclosing his business interests to the BCCI. The declaration was being disclosed by former justice Lavu Nageswara Rao.
Azharuddin, who was elected president of the HCA in 2019, was found to have not disclosed his business interests in a company called Azharuddin Cricket Academy (ACA). The BCCI constitution requires all office-bearers to disclose their business interests to avoid any conflict of interest.
The Supreme Court’s decision is a major setback for Azharuddin, who has been trying to make a comeback in cricket administration. He had served as the president of the HCA from 2000 to 2003, but he was forced to step down after being implicated in the match-fixing scandal.
The Supreme Court’s decision is also a reminder to all cricket administrators of the importance of transparency and accountability. All office-bearers must disclose their business interests to the BCCI to avoid any conflict of interest.
