Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has said he ‘regrets having played cricket’ after the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) Ombudsman’s directive to remove his name from the North Stand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal. An emotional Azharuddin called the situation ‘heartbreaking’ and a ‘complete disgrace to the sport’ that people with ‘no understanding’ of it had made that call. Lords Cricket Club — a member unit of the state association — had filed the petition to remove his name from the stadium. The decision was taken by Justice (Retd) V. Eswaraiah, the HCA’s ethics officer. The petition stated that the move to name the stand after Azharuddin violated HCA rules. The Ombudsman’s order also stated that no tickets should be printed with the former captain’s name. “It pains me deeply to say this, but I sometimes regret having played cricket. It’s heartbreaking to see individuals with little to no understanding of the game now in positions to teach and lead. It’s a complete disgrace to the sport,” Azharuddin, who served as the association’s president from September 2019 to September 2023, told IANS. Azharuddin also reiterated that he intended to take legal action and urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to step in. “I am determined to pursue legal action against this injustice, and I urge the BCCI to intervene and take appropriate action. This issue isn’t isolated – Sunrisers Hyderabad also had a dispute with the association over passes, highlighting a pattern of mismanagement and conflict. What’s unfolding is beyond comprehension, and it hurts me on a personal level. I was not allowed to contest the HCA elections simply because I exposed the corruption within the system. That truth made me a target,” he added. The petition alleged that Azharuddin, during his tenure as HCA’s president, misused his position. It pointed to an Apex Council meeting in December 2019, just a month after he took office, where a resolution was passed to name the North Stand — which was called the VVS Laxman Pavilion — after him. Azharuddin has continued to deny all charges. The LCC has said it is pleased at the decision.