Azza's Mazaa. Review on M. Azharuddin

Whatever might be said about the person Md. Azharuddin, as a cricketer for me he was the flamboyance and flair of Indian Cricket for nearly a decade and before the arrival of Sachin Tendulkar.

Debuting against the English team in their 1984 tour to India we saw the birth of an exceptional cricketer, living up to and surpassing his potential he blasted 3 consecutive centuries on his debut series giving the Englishmen a hiding and sent them on a leather chase all over the ground.

Then came the 1985 World Championship series& Sharjah triumphs under Sunny Gavaskar, Azhar was the man with Vengsarkar who held the middle order and made sure India never gave the other team a chance, his fielding was a delight to watch even then (this is before the arrival of Johnty Rhodes) the effortless grace he emanated while flicking the ball off his hips, the phenomenal square cut wherein his bat rotated twice in a blink of an eye, through the years he played many an innings for the team and not for his personal glory.

He undoubtedly was one the best timers of the ball and despite using a light bat unlike GANGULY & SACHIN he used the bowlers pace and the gift of timing to find the boundary more often then not. Later on in his career he had confidence enough to play any ball outside the off stump and work it on the on side by sheer will like a wand in his hand he conjured up some breath taking shots which still remain in the memory.

As I mentioned in a comment of Amrita's review

One of his most memorable innings was against South Africa and the lesson he gave LANCE KLUSENER along with Sachin was Azhar at his best, smashing the ball all over hitting huge sixes and yes the 5 boundaries in 5 balls.

As a player he was very superstitious I don't know if many people noticed that throughout his career if he scored of the first ball that he faced it usually translated into at least a 40, 50

If he hit a four of the first ball normally he got a hundred,

If he failed to score within the first 5 balls he normally got a duck or didn't make it into double figures,

He had to have his talisman hanging out of his shirt and yes he did start the tradition of one sleeve folded only while the other was buttoned up.

While fielding he was grace personified and the casual back flicks & the returns he sent to the keeper (normally on top of the stumps) made him a truly world-class fielder and India can't boast of many.

His ODI record is second only to Sachin in terms of the runs scored and he was an inspired captain who while not being very vocal about his views was gifted when it came to field changes and bowling changes.

Under him India enjoyed a successful record and he ended up having the best winning percentage of any Indian Captain. Not all was down to luck or the alleged ''fixing''.

I was very happy when Kapil Dev in his acceptance speech at the WISDEN'S INDIAN CRICKETER OF THE CENTURY, mentioned Azhar's name, and I was truly in more awe of Kapil Dev to have remembered him as he could well identify with Azza's predicament then anyone else.

His loss to Indian Cricket is sad and the way the BCCI & CBI treated him was obnoxious.

If a Hansie Cronje was made a hero after his recent demise why can't we admire Azhar for the cricketer he was and for all the things he contributed to Indian Cricket

The world of cricket will sorely miss the flair and elegance of Mohammad Azharuddin (wasn't he a beauty to watch- as RICHIE BENAUD SAID OF HIM). I would give anything to see him playing again!

I have not mentioned anything about the fixing controversy or his off field activities as I think enough has been said and re said, this review is about Azhar the brilliant and astute cricketer that he was and will always remain at least to me one of my cricketing idols.