‘We have done nothing wrong, we are with..’: Azharuddin on stampade for Ind vs Aus T20I tickets sale in Hyderabad

Thousands of people crowded the Gymkhana Ground in Hyderabad to get tickets for the Sunday T20I between India and Australia at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, causing a stampede and a lathi charge.

On Thursday, chaotic scenes developed as ticket sales began. Mohammad Azharuddin, the head of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), and other top officials were called in for an explanation by Telangana’s sports minister, V. Srinivas Goud.

Around 20 persons were injured, with seven of them being rushed for immediate medical attention.

The police resorted to mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd while the injured, including a woman who was gasping for breath, were rushed in a police vehicle to a nearby hospital. The injured who were hospitalized included a fireman and a police constable.

“Conducting a match is not as easy as sitting in this room and discussing it,” ex-Indian captain Azharuddin told the reporters.

In his remarks at a press conference, Azharuddin promised to provide a report on the ticket sales. The Telangana sports minister was also present.

“We haven’t broken any laws. We are beside the injured fans, and the HCA will take excellent care of them. The minister will receive a thorough report from me on ticket sales, availability, and other facts, and he will let you know what is right and what is wrong, he said.

“There are going to be problems. Yes, the public wants to see the match after a three-year gap. But, again, not all of them can do it. We will give all the details at the media briefing on Friday. We have nothing to hide. But, at the same time we have to make sure the game goes forward,” the HCA chief added.

The sports minister blamed the “lack of coordination between the state government and HCA” for the chaos.

“I assure you that the incidents will not be repeated,” said Goud. “Top police officials will inquire into the reasons leading to today’s incidents and will take necessary action, if needed. We had taken a decision to sell tickets offline late last evening and because of that there was a huge turnout, which led to the stampede.”

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