Mohammad Azharuddin: News

The world has seen many talented cricketers but it has seen only a few who made cricket look easy. Those few made the ground their canvas and the willow or the ball their brush. They created masterpieces with their tools. Mohammad Azharuddin was one of those few who made the cricket ground his canvas. Hailing from Hyderabad, Azharuddin was considered a prodigious talent. His crafty stroke play reminiscent of greats such as Greg Chappel and Zaheer Abbas made him a favorite of the purists. At the same time, his instinctive gameplay with complete disregard to the match situation was a joy to watch for those who sought entertainment. Azharuddin made his Test debut against England in 1985. He has the distinction of being the only player to score three centuries in the first three Tests he played. Apart from being a master with the willow, Azhar was India’s best fielder throughout his career. He also captained the Indian team through the best part of the 90s and was one of the best captains India has ever seen. BCCI banned him for life in 2000 after match-fixing allegations were leveled against him.