Follow UsThere will no longer be a Mohammed Azharuddin stand at the Hyderabad Cricket Association Stadium in Uppal. On Saturday, the HCA Ombudsman and Ethics Officer Justice V Eswaraiah directed the board to remove his name over Conflict of Interest allegations. The Ombudsman also mandated that no future tickets should carry Azharuddin’s name.
The Lord's Cricket Club recently filed a petition alleging that Azharuddin, during his tenure as HCA president, named the stand after himself, bypassing required approvals. Justice Eswaraiah, in a 25-page judgment, found the move to be a clear conflict of interest.
"The fact that there has been no ratification or modification of the decision by the General Body further strengthens the case against Respondent No. 1 (Azharuddin)," the order stated. "He has exceeded his authority to benefit himself. In consequence of my findings, a clear case of conflict of interest is made out."
The petitioner argued that Azharuddin's action was arbitrary and lacked approval from the HCA General Body or Apex Council. The club requested the reinstatement of the stand's original name—VVS Laxman Pavilion—for all official references, including signage and ticket printing.
Justice Eswaraiah upheld the petition, calling Azharuddin’s decision “high-handed” and unsupported by the association’s governing bodies. The HCA has been instructed to implement the changes with immediate effect.