Laxman, Ojha named in Hyderabad Cricket governing council

India and Hyderabad cricketers VVS Laxman and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha have been named on the newly-constituted governing council of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).

"The council will meet once in every month and will monitor every aspect of the game. Essentially, it will be suggestive in nature and all its decisions will be conveyed to the Executive Committee of HCA for further action," HCA President Arshad Ayub said. "If necessary, the council will meet even twice in a month also."

The other committee members include BCCI vice-president and former India cricketer Shivlal Yadav, former India left-arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju, HCA secretary MV Sridhar and Ayub.

The HCA has been at the centre of controversy in recent times over allegations of misappropriation of funds. A petition referring to contracts related to the construction of the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, and the cost of building the stadium, was filed by C Babu Rao Sagar, secretary of Sagar Cricket Club in Hyderabad, against the HCA in an anti-corruption court in Andhra Pradesh in April. In November last year four senior Ranji players were dropped, and head coach Venkatapathy Raju and batting coach Vivek Jaisimha resigned after Hyderabad's humiliating defeat against Rajasthan - they were bowled out for 21 - in their opening Ranji Trophy game.

Ayub said that a new Ranji coach would be named shortly. "There are no changes in most of the selection panels from the under-16 to Ranji Trophy level with only former Ranji opener A Nandakishore coming in place of NP Singh for the Ranji panel," Ayub said. "We don't want to dump the Ranji selection panel or the coaches despite the debacle last season. We look at it as those one-off performances and are very optimistic of a much better showing this time around."