Hyderabad Deccan, April 22, 2025: Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has expressed regret over his cricketing career following a directive to remove his name from the North Pavilion Stand at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) was ordered by its ombudsman and ethics officer, Justice V. Eswaraiah, to erase Azharuddin’s name from both stadium signage and printed tickets for the IPL 2025 matches. The directive follows a petition filed by Lord’s Cricket Club, which accused Azharuddin of favoritism and conflict of interest during his tenure as HCA president.
Azharuddin, who captained India in the 1990s and later served as HCA president, called the decision a “disgrace” and urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to step in. “What is happening is beyond comprehension and it hurts me personally,” he said. “I was barred from contesting HCA elections merely because I exposed corruption within the system.”
The ombudsman’s order, which affects all remaining IPL fixtures at the stadium — including key playoff matches — also recommended renaming the stand after fellow Hyderabad cricketer VVS Laxman, proposing it be officially designated the “VVS Laxman Pavilion.”
Azharuddin’s remarks, including his emotional declaration — “I regret playing cricket” — underscore the growing tensions within the HCA, amid longstanding governance issues and factional rivalries.
