World Cup: Decks cleared for games in Hyderabad, HC orders defreezing of HCA bank accounts

Hyderabad, Sep 29 (PTI) The clouds of uncertainty over World Cup games in Hyderabad were lifted after the Telangana High Court on Friday ordered to defreeze the bank accounts HCA, the host association.

The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), run by a Supreme Court-appointed single member committee in the absence of elected office-bearers, on Wednesday had approached the Telangana High Court for defreezing of the bank accounts which the lower court had attached.

"The court order has come through and the bank account is operational," HCA CEO Suneel Kante told PTI.

As a result, the opening warm-up fixture of the World Cup between Pakistan and New Zealand was staged smoothly.

Hyderabad will host another warm-up game on October 3 and three matches in the tournament-proper, beginning October 5.

The High Court issued the order in connection with commercial executive petition filed by G Vivekanand, owner of Visaka Industries and former HCA president.

The High Court asked HCA administrator, former judge Lavu Nageshwara Rao, to pay Visaka Industries Rs 17.5 crore within six weeks. The issue relates to alleged violation of development agreement of the stadium and dates back to 2004 when the facility was built.

In 2016, Visaka Industries said it had got a favourable arbitral tribunal order, directing the HCA to pay Rs 25.92 crore with 18 percent interest per annum.

"We want the cricket to go on but the HCA has been dilly dallying the case for the past seven years. We have to take the correct legal side and that is why we went for the attachment. We want the issue to be resolved fully," said Vivekanand.

Pakistan, who arrived here on Wednesday, will face Netherlands in their World Cup opener on October 6 before facing Sri Lanka on October 10. PTI BS AT AT