IND vs WI | Mohammad Azharuddin to address corruption charges on HCA after T20I opener
Mohammad Azharuddin has confirmed that he will look into the matter of the corruption charges on the HCA after hosting the first T20 between India and West Indies at Hyderabad. Indian batsman Ambati Rayudu had earlier urged Azharuddin to look into the matter and take the required action.
Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA)'s chief Mohammad Azharuddin is ready to look into the matter, following the first T20I in Hyderabad between India and West Indies on December 6. This comes in after, Rayudu who captained the Hyderabad team in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy decided to skip the Ranji Trophy season for Hyderabad to protest against the corruption going on in HCA. He requested Azharuddin to look into the matter for the betterment of the youngsters of Hyderabad.
After initially responding to Rayudu by saying that he was just a frustrated cricketer, Azharuddin has now confirmed that he will look into the matter once Hyderabad is done hosting the first T20I between India and West Indies on December 6.
"Since this is a T20 game which we are holding, I don't want to take anything away from the game. I want you to report only on this game, focus on the T20 game," Azharuddin told TOI.
"I am sure you must have come very well prepared. After the sixth, if there is anything, we will have another press conference. I will address the other things which have been happening in the recent past," he confirmed.
Hosting the T20 game in Hyderabad will be one of the first major tasks of Azharuddin as a newly-appointed HCA President. It was announced very late by the BCCI that the i1st T20 that was supposed to be hosted at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will now be played in Hyderabad but Azharuddin believes that they are fully prepared to host the game.
"I think we are fully prepared. It's a very tough thing to hold a match. Since, it's my first match as an administrator ... when I was playing, I used to play the game and go back home or go back to the hotel. But, this thing, it's a different responsibility. Many butterflies. I could not play T20 at that time. It was not there. So, I take it as I play T20," the 56-year-old revealed.
Mumbai will now host the 3rd T20 and Hyderabad will host the first one, giving Azharuddin a very different experience for the first time in his life.
"Playing cricket and being in the administration are two different things. Whatever little experience I have gained from playing cricket, I will put that into use," he concluded.