Newly elected HCA secretary Shesh Narayan promises to be the watchdog

Having slapped a slew of suits in courts against erring administrators and been involved in dozens of dogfights, he has been the enfant terrible of Hyderabad Cricket Association for long. Now, the HCA hellraiser occupies the hot seat, with a burning desire to devour the demons that he feels have damaged the institution. Meet the tenacious T. Shesh Narayan, new secretary who promises to sweep cricket clean.

Soon after being declared elected unanimously on Friday, the 57-year-old spoke to Deccan Chronicle on a variety of issues dogging Hyderabad cricket. Shesh promised to be the watchdog and keep the unscrupulous elements away from cricket fields. Has the HCA found its Al-Shesh-an? His biting responses would make you think so. First up, Shesh flies right at the heart of the problem. “Among the administrators is a gang of four or five who control about 40 votes. They have ruined this Association. Though they have come and supported us this time around, they are like the East India Company — they come with a purpose, do their business and in the process have damaged the institution,” he says. “Things have not been right in the HCA over the past two decades. I would blame the past committees, of which I too was part and parcel in 2010-12. But I feel the worst is over,” he says, adding, “the HCA is now a new born baby, we have to nurture it.”

Big Daddies:

“I have been in this association for more than 30 years. I came in 1981 when I played for Osmania. I have seen cricket suffer due to nepotism. Sons of officials got into Hyderabad state teams. Now, it has got worse with officials trading places. The first four-five slots in the team are occupied by the office-bearers’ sons who are sitting on spots that could be otherwise up for grabs,” Shesh says.

Cash league:

Shesh also spoke of players being charged to play for club sides. “Another culture that has seeped into Hyderabad cricket is that of players from other states coming down, camping in hotels and playing in our leagues that are controlled by a mafia. These guys have converted leagues into business. They collect rupees ranging from one to five lakh from the players to give them a chance to play on their team. With 15 members in the squad, the amount works up to Rs 1 crore, out of which they give Rs 15 to 20 lakh to the team owner who happens to be an office-bearer. These people participate in the leagues and are selected... their aim is to get into IPL teams. The psyche of the youngsters has been affected. There are 50-60 boys who are playing that way and I will try to stop that,” he says. “To play you pay, to bowl you dole out cash, to bat at a certain number you again pay,” he adds.

Meritorious matches:

What can be done to improve the sagging League? “Let’s have less number of matches but quality ones. We are going to have a very limited number of teams in three-day (the top division), may be six or eight. There will be a proper gradation of sides where players will have to fight for their places. The teams will have to reach the top via annual promotions that will be linked to performances in their respective tiers,” Shesh says.

Also, “we want cricketers to earn their places, not get them gifted. Talented players should get an opportunity to play and it should be free of cost. If the boys are good, we will pick them ourselves and field HCA teams in the Leagues. My doors will be open to budding cricketers. They are free to come and meet me and share their problems. I will be available for them from 3 to 5 pm. I only want them to be honest and I promise them infrastructure free of cost.”

As for the Institutional teams, “they have been part and parcel of the HCA and a lifeline for many cricketers. If the institutional teams are interested, we can bring them into the corporate league and get them to play Twenty20s in coloured clothing with a white ball so that they can play on weekends, nowadays cricketers aren’t getting relief from work at their offices to practice or play. But teams that are playing the higher division will have to play during week days,” he says.

“We also want to have our own cricket village where about 20 matches can be played simultaneously, like in the Mumbai maidan or our own Parade Grounds which are hard to get now. We have a plan. A client has agreed to provide us with 100 acres of land about 30 kms from Hyderabad free of cost. All we have to do is prepare our own turf wickets.”

Money talks:

Shesh also slammed corruption at the HCA offices. “My colleagues have become contractors, brazen ones at that. One official has taken up transport contracts, another has made airline bookings his own, one more deals with tent house material, and a couple are into catering... they have been fudging accounts as well. Think of a bill for Rs 75 lakh to feed the policemen on match duty! They are a gang, and share the booty. I would say they looted HCA (during Indo-B’desh Test) right under the nose of BCCI observer Ratnakar Shetty,” Shesh said. “All this (corruption) has happened because our club secretaries have been very docile, tolerant, and patient. Only a few have ever raised issues,” he says.

“The payments that have been doled out to clubs as Cricket Development Fund should also be looked into. In my opinion, if the clubs need support there are other ways of backing them other than financially, like kitting their cricketers, providing them with infrastructure for practice, free travelling and some nutritious food at league matches. As far as corruption goes, I don’t think we can get back lost money but can stop the rot and deter others from doing such things,” Shesh felt.

Howzzat!

The new secretary also pointed a finger at the officials on the field. “We also have to discipline the umpires as well as the scorers, who have become corrupt. If you look into the scoresheets you can spot the mischief — some players have never been given out LBW in their entire career. This misuse of the system has percolated and has reached alarming proportions,” he said.

Umpire up above:

Shesh attributes his rise to the almighty. “I look at my elevation as divine intervention,” he says. “A lot of things fell in place for me and our group. The Deloitte (BCCI-appointed audit firm) report that unearthed mismanagement and fraud worth crores of rupees leading to the courts taking notice and action. God gives chances to men to correct themselves, then cautions them through calamities, when that doesn’t work, he comes in such a form that it all plays out in your favour. Otherwise, out of the 200-odd (HCA votaries) I am disliked by more than 180, and look I am the first unanimous secretary at elections in HCA’s history.” Astonishingly, eight contestants against Shesh were either disqualified for filing multiple nominations or for falling foul of the Supreme Court directions at the nominations stage.

Playing it straight:

The HCA executive head pledged his team would work in the right earnest and set things straight. “Irrespective of the IPL going on, we will call for the General Body (constitutionally scheduled for the last Sunday of May), amend our laws in tune with the Lodha Committee recommendations, and absolutely put to rest the debate over tenures and extensions of committees with one clear shot,” Shesh assured.