Hyderabad: The troubles of former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin have deepened as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to him in connection with an ongoing money laundering case. Azharuddin, who served as the president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), is under scrutiny for alleged financial irregularities within the association, involving a misappropriation of ₹20 crore. He is expected to appear before the ED today.
Azharuddin was elected president of the HCA in September 2019 but was forced to step down from the role in June 2021 amid accusations of fund mismanagement. The ED’s investigation, which began earlier this year, has revealed that HCA officials allegedly engaged in financial misconduct, including awarding inflated contracts to private firms for the construction of the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, resulting in significant losses for the association.
The ED has registered three FIRs related to these allegations, and further investigations are underway. Raids were conducted at nine locations across Telangana, where important documents and digital evidence were recovered.
In addition to his cricketing career, Azharuddin also ventured into politics. He was elected as a Member of Parliament from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, on a Congress ticket in 2009. He later contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Rajasthan but was unsuccessful.
The former cricketer, once a celebrated figure in Indian cricket, now faces serious legal challenges as the ED probes deeper into the financial dealings during his tenure at the Hyderabad Cricket Association.