Bhubaneswar: Born on 8th February 1963, Mohammad Azharuddin, fondly known as Azhar, turns 58 today. The elegant middle-order batsman was renowned as one of the greatest cricketers of the country, until the match fixing issue erupted and caused mayhem in his career and personal life.
Azhar has played 99 Tests and 334 ODI matches for India. His international career came to an abrupt end when he was found to be involved in a match-fixing scandal in 2000 and subsequently banned by the BCCI for life.
Here are some lesser-known facts about one of the most prolific wristy batsmen the world has seen.
Start with a bang: Azhar started off his international career with a bang when he scored a century on his Test debut against England in 1984 at Eden Gardens in Calcutta (Kolkata). He went on to score centuries in the next two Tests as well. He was heralded as a batting genius.
Delightful batsman: The stylish batsman went on to score 6,215 runs in 99 Tests at an impressive average of 45 including 22 centuries and 21 half-centuries. His record in ODIs was equally impressive with 9,378 runs from 334 matches at an average of 36.92.
Love-affair with Eden Gardens: Azharuddin has a fantastic record at the Eden Gardens starting from his 110 on Test debut in 1984-85. In all, he played seven Tests at the venue, scoring 860 runs at an average of 107.50, with five tons and two fifties. He failed to get a fifty-plus score in only one Test.
Unique record: Azhar has the unique record of scoring a century in his very first game in Indian jersey as well as in the last Test match of his career. He started his career with a 110 against England in Kolkata in 1984 and ended with a 102 against South Africa in Banglaore in 2000.
Superb fielder: Azharuddin was also a superb fielder to boot. He wasn’t much of a diver, but you always got the sense of a relaxed cheetah on the prowl when he approached a ball. He always seemed to be in the right position, with the right balance. He rarely dropped the ball. As a fielder, he took 156 catches in ODI cricket.
Skipper with golden touch: He was named the captain of the Indian side in 1989. He had an impressive stint as a skipper and led India to 90 ODI victories in 174 matches as a captain.
Leading India in 3 WCs: Azharuddin is the only Indian captain to have led the side in three World Cups. He captained India in 1992, 1996 and 1999.
Adulation & admiration: Azharuddin was honored with Arjun Award in 1986 and Padma Shri in 1988 in recognition of his distinguished contribution in the field of sports. He was also named Wisden’s Cricket of the Year in 1991.
Celebrity connection: Azharuddin was married to Naureen, but afterwards tied the knot with famous Bollywood actress Sangeeta Bijlani. The second marriage also ended in the rocks.
Political career: Azharuddin took a foray into politics leading up to the 2009 General Elections. He joined the Congress Party and was elected from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. However, in 2014, he did not manage to win a seat in the Lok Sabha.
Match-fixing allegations: Azharuddin was banned for life in 2000 for his alleged role in match-fixing. However, in 2006, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revoked the ban. In 2012, the Andhra Pradesh High Court further vindicated Azharuddin by saying that the ban imposed on him was untenable.
Biopic: Azharuddin’s biopic ‘Azhar’ was released in May 2016. His role was played by Emran Hashmi, while the roles of his wives Naureen and Sangeeta Bijlani were played by Prachi Desai and Nargis Fakhri respectively.