Under-19 cricket selection panel faces bribery allegations

A case has been filed against the Hyderabad Cricket Association’s (HCA) Under-19 junior selection panel chairman Sudeep Tyagi and two members Sandeep Rajan and Habeeb Ahmed following allegations of bribery, police said on Thursday.

The complaint, lodged by the father of an Under-19 player, claimed that the selection panel did not follow proper procedures and excluded deserving players. He alleged that players who paid bribes were favored, while others were unfairly dropped despite strong performances in division group-level matches.

The complainant also raised concerns about “massive” corruption within the junior selection committee over the past three seasons. He further accused the panel of accepting fake birth certificates to manipulate player eligibility, which, he said, harmed talented players.

According to the complaint, the player, a bowler, was excluded from the 2023-24 probables’ list and again for the 2025-26 season after refusing to pay the alleged bribe.

Following the allegations, Uppal Police Station registered a case against HCA junior selection panel chairman Sudeep Tyagi and two other members Saneep Rajan and Habeeb Ahmed. They face charges under sections related to cheating, criminal breach of trust, and other relevant provisions of the law.

Police officials said the investigation is ongoing and further details would be revealed as the probe progresses.

The allegations against the HCA’s Under-19 selection panel raise serious questions about the transparency and integrity of the junior cricket selection process in Hyderabad. If proven true, these claims may point to systemic issues rather than isolated misconduct, suggesting that governance mechanisms within the association need urgent scrutiny. The reported practices of demanding bribes and manipulating age eligibility not only undermine merit-based selection but also have a direct impact on the careers of talented young players, potentially discouraging them from pursuing professional cricket. Such controversies also risk eroding public trust in the HCA and could tarnish the reputation of grassroots cricket development programs in the region.

Beyond the immediate case, the situation highlights the need for structural reforms, including independent oversight, technology-driven transparency, and stricter auditing of selection procedures to prevent similar incidents. Comparisons with other state cricket boards indicate that robust checks and accountability measures can limit corruption and maintain fairness. Legally, the accused could face significant consequences if found guilty, but the efficiency of law enforcement and judicial intervention in sports-related corruption will be closely watched. Ultimately, repeated allegations of this nature threaten the long-term competitiveness of youth cricket in Hyderabad and India’s broader cricket talent pipeline, underscoring the urgency for proactive preventive measures and systemic reforms.