The best became the worst and the reputation goes haywire – this is Hyderabad Cricket Association. Always in controversies. Presently, the situation of cricket in Hyderabad is appalling. It recently had the lowest Ranji Trophy Championship performance of all time.
Hyderabad had had a reputation for being a reckless city. Its batsmen never held back when playing a shot. Especially the spinners, who were among the greatest in India, the bowlers used to be quite cunning. The toughest hitting lineups could be broken by them. The major guns used to take Hyderabad very seriously as a rival.
Recently, Hyderabad’s Ranji Trophy performance has reached previously unheard-of lows. The team’s egregious failure is demonstrated by the six losses. With just one point from its final seven games, Hyderabad was demoted to the Plate group for the following campaign. This is Hyderabad’s third encounter with this humiliation.
Those who have a deep affection for Hyderabad cricket are hopeless. How long will this suffering continue? How many setbacks and humiliations must occur before the HCA administration is awakened?
John Robert Wooden, a well-known American basketball coach, once made a statement that is incredibly relevant to Hyderabad’s current situation. Failure against competitors is not fatal, he remarked. However, failing to alter one’s approach can be disastrous. In other words, even the finest teams can occasionally fail.
However, they are safe as long as they adapt their strategies after that failure and learn from it. Success will eventually arrive. However, nothing has changed or any lessons have been learned in Hyderabad.
We observe the same narrative playing out year after year. Internal disputes amongst administrators go on and on. The local league cricket is not being played in an organised and methodical way. The media has revealed how the rise in the number of teams has led to a further increase in malpractices.
The number of teams in the A-1 Division 3-Day league was unexpectedly expanded from 18 to 35 in 2019-2020, according to a former well-versed state player who is now a high administrator in one of the cricket clubs. The number has since increased considerably.
“This has lowered the standard in the Hyderabad leagues’ highest echelons. Because players can now build a claim for a spot in the state side by scoring a century or taking five wickets against unimportant opponents.
The same story was retold in the 2021–2022 season. And the new season has gotten off to a poor start. Rules are routinely broken with complete impunity, he noted, which is why things are going wrong.
“There is a dearth of top-notch grounds when there are so many teams competing. What level of quality are the fields and pitches used for league games? Does anyone give these crucial game elements any thought?
On unkempt grounds, players are unable to display their talent. The game has enough money to upgrade the infrastructure. However, nothing is being done. It follows logically that there will be no growth in Hyderabad cricket if league tournament behaviour does not change,” he bemoaned.
Another official noted that Hyderabad’s involvement in local competitions involved a number of dubious choices. Numerous decisions were unreasonable and unplanned. Seven alternative opening pairings were tested for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy competition tried out. Eleven new players made their debut. Players with immense potential were overlooked and players with little experience and poor scores were selected.
Players who succeeded in one match found themselves dropped for the next match. There was not even a semblance of stability in the side. The coaching staff consisted of only one head coach without any assistant coach or fielding coach.
In all sports, it is said that talent begins at the grassroots level. That organisation will achieve enormous heights at the highest level if it can elevate cricket at the lowest level. However, nobody appears to care in Hyderabad.
The HCA appears to have grown a skin so thick that even the most humiliating act cannot make them feel ashamed. #hydnews #khabarlive #hydlive
