Mohammad Azharuddin aims to give new direction to players as president of Hyderabad Cricket Association

What's the story?

After the inauguration of the Mohammad Azharuddin Stand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, the man of the moment himself had an interaction with the media on Friday (6 December). The former Indian skipper talked about his new role as the chief of the Hyderabad Cricket Association, while also expressing his feelings over Sourav Ganguly's appointment as BCCI President.

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The background

Ahead of the first T20I between India and West Indies in Hyderabad, VVS Laxman opened the newly refurbished North Stand of the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium which has been renamed in honor of Azharuddin.

Azhar played 334 ODIs and 99 Tests for India in his decorated career before a match-fixing scandal ended his time with the Indian team. Although he eventually received a clean chit in the case, he never managed to stage a comeback to national colors.

The heart of the matter

Talking to Sportstar after the inauguration, Azharuddin spoke about his new innings as HCA President and said,

"Definitely, it is an honour to walk on to the ground as the HCA president and also it means facing fresh challenges. I was trained to be a cricketer, not an administrator. Frankly, this new role I never thought of when I was playing the game. But, having seen the mess in the HCA in the recent past, I decided to take the plunge with the primary objective of giving the game and the players a new direction."

When asked about his targets as the HCA President, Azharuddin replied that his emphasis is on producing players for India and that he is optimistic about the future. He mentioned the new BCCI President Sourav Ganguly while discussing his future goals and said:

"I want my second innings to be remembered for all good things. Yes, it is great to have Sourav as the BCCI chief and myself here in this role. I know what a cricketer at any level needs having myself played at the highest level."

What's next?

Azharuddin would be hoping for the Hyderabad team to perform well in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. He would also be looking to set things in order at the organization, and ensure that his new innings is free of controversy.