Hyderabad Cricket Association displeased by unfair treatment from CoA
The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has expressed its displeasure at the unfair treatment at the hand of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators. The CoA failed to inform the HCA in good time that the strength of its apex council can go up to a maximum of 19 members.Â
As a result of this laxity from the CoA, the 220 odd members of the HCA will only be able to elect five office-bearers, along with another member from among themselves at the elections to be held on September 27. Had the CoA conveyed the outcome of its discussions with the Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae, P.S. Narasimha, to the HCA, its clubs would have had time to amend its constitution, field more candidates for the election and eventually elect 10 more members into the apex council, including the male and female international cricketers and the representative of the State AG’s office.
“The clarification about increasing the number of apex council members could have been issued by the CoA BCCI earlier and the same could have been taken at the AGM of the HCA held on 21st July 2019,” the HCA told CoA in a note.
The HCA had amended its constitution in terms with the BCCI and as per the directions of the CoA in 2017. It had an apex council comprising nine councillors.Â
“These rules and regulations of the HCA shall not be repealed, added to, amended or altered except when passed and adopted by a 3/4th majority of the members present and entitled to vote at a Special General Meeting of the General Body convened for the purpose or at the Annual General Meeting. Any such amendment will not be given effect to without the leave of the Honourable Supreme Court,” the constitution stated.
However, the Constitutions of 28 BCCI members published by the CoA on the board's website drew the attention of the joint secretary of the HCA, Ajmal Azad, who took up the matter with the BCCI CoA. The CoA had approved the Constitution of Delhi (16 Directors), Punjab (19), Baroda (13), Himachal Pradesh (12). Mumbai has proposed 17 to the apex council, while Saurashtra, Bengal, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh have all proposed 19 each. The BCCI-CoA sent a communication to the HCA CEO and HCA CoA on September 12 and the same was copied to the BCCI CEO Rahul Johri.Â
"This is in reference to your email dated 10th September 2019 inviting the attention of the Committee of Administrators, BCCI to a request made on behalf of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (“HCA”) for increasing the number of councillors in the apex council of the HCA to 19. The CoA pursuant to the meetings with the amicus curiae and certain state associations had agreed to have 19 councillors in the apex council of certain state associations on account of administrative considerations,” the CoA stated.
”Accordingly, please note that the CoA have no objections if the strength of the apex council of the HCA is amended accordingly in the HCA Constitution. If the said amendment is carried out by the HCA, we request you to kindly send the registered copy of the amended constitution to the CoA BCCI at the earliest,” the CoA added.
However, since the HCA election process has already been set into motion, the electoral officer V. S. Sampath has been advised to proceed under the existing provisions of the constitution.Â