From cricket, controversies, life ban to minister: Azharuddin’s chequered journey

Former Indian cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin, the man who once enthralled cricket fans with his graceful wristwork, is now stepping into the corridors of power. After years marked by victories, controversies, and personal loss, Azharuddin has once again captured public attention — this time as a Telangana minister.

Azharuddin, also known as Azhar, began his cricket journey on the streets of Hyderabad. Despite facing numerous controversies in both cricket and his personal life, the city continues to fondly call him “Azhu Bhai”.

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After being banned over match-fixing allegations, Azhar made a surprise turn towards politics by joining the Congress party in 2009. He entered Parliament after winning the Moradabad Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh as a Congress candidate same year. Though he lost the 2023 Telangana Assembly election from Jubilee Hills, the state government soon recommended his name for an MLC position under the Governor’s quota. While that proposal was still pending, Azhar took oath as a Cabinet minister in Telangana on Friday (October 31).

From All Saints school to Indian team

Born on February 8, 1963, in Hyderabad to Mohammad Azizuddin and Yousuf Sultana, Azhar studied at All Saints High School in Abids area and earned a B.Com degree from Nizam College. His love for cricket began in the city’s narrow lanes before he rose rapidly through the ranks.

Representing Osmania University in inter-university tournaments, Azhar went on to make his first-class cricket debut at the age of 18 for Hyderabad. He created a sensation by scoring centuries in his first three Test matches against England in 1984. In 1989, he became India’s captain.

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Over a 16-year career, he played 99 Tests and 334 ODIs, leading India to victory in the 1990-91 and 1995 Asia Cups and to the semi-finals of the 1996 World Cup. He captained India in three World Cups (1992, 1996, 1999) and was regarded as one of the most stylish batsmen of his generation.

The match-fixing storm

In 2000, Indian cricket was rocked by the match-fixing scandal. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) accused Azhar of introducing South African captain Hansie Cronje to bookmakers. The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) imposed a lifetime ban based on the report, effectively ending his career. However, in 2012, the Hyderabad Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court overturned the ban, calling it unlawful.

Although vindicated, Azhar never returned to professional cricket. Instead, he focused on nurturing young talent, even training aspiring cricketers in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years.

Cricket administrator to politician

In September 2019, Azhar was elected president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) after the ban was lifted. His tenure, however, was marred by allegations of irregularities in Indian Premier League (IPL) ticket distribution, leading to his resignation. From there, his journey took another dramatic turn — into politics and now into the state Cabinet.

Trials of personal life

Azhar married Naureen, a Hyderabad native, in 1987, and the couple had two sons — Mohammad Asaduddin and Mohammad Ayazuddin. The marriage ended in divorce in 1996. In 2011, tragedy struck when his younger son, 19-year-old Ayazuddin died in a motorcycle accident in Hyderabad.

Later, Azhar married Bollywood actress Sangeeta Bijlani, but the relationship ended in 2010 amid persistent rumours, and she returned to Mumbai.

His family has since gained a new connection — Azhar’s elder son Asad married Anam Mirza, sister of tennis star Sania Mirza, bringing together two of Hyderabad’s most prominent sporting families.

From Parliament to Telangana politics

Azhar entered politics in February 2009 by joining the Congress. That same year, he won the Moradabad Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh with a margin of over 40,000 votes. However, in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, he lost from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan to BJP’s Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria.

He stayed away from the 2019 general elections but was appointed working president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee in 2018. In the 2023 Assembly polls, he contested from Jubilee Hills but lost to BRS candidate Maganti Gopinath by over 16,000 votes.

Symbol of minority representation

Islamic scholar Mohammad Mujahid from Hyderabad’s Old City said Muslims were pleased that Azharuddin had been given a ministerial berth after a long gap. He urged the new minister to strengthen minority welfare schemes and called on Congress leaders to expedite his MLC nomination to avoid procedural hurdles.

A strategic political move

Political observers believe Azhar’s appointment as minister ahead of the Jubilee Hills bypoll is a calculated move to strengthen the Congress’s appeal among Muslim voters. His inclusion also addresses two long-standing concerns — the absence of a Muslim minister and the lack of representation from Hyderabad district in the Congress Cabinet.

BJP slams Congress over timing

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy accused the Congress government of appointing Azharuddin purely to woo minority votes. He questioned how someone facing “pending cases” could be made a minister and criticised the Cabinet expansion during the election code period.

BJP MLA Payal Shankar echoed the sentiment, calling the move a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Speaking to The Federal Telangana, he alleged that the appointment was meant to influence voters and said his complaints to election authorities had gone unanswered.

Azhar hits back

Responding to critics, Azharuddin said the allegations made by BJP and BRS leaders were baseless. “Kishan Reddy does not have knowledge. He can talk about anything. It does not matter much to me. I know who I am and how patriotic I am. I know what I have done for the country, and I don't need anyone's certificate,” Azharuddin said.

“Not a single case against me has been proven,” he said and added that whichever department he will be given, he will serve it efficiently.

Azharuddin thanked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal for making him a minister.

"I am glad. I thank the high command. My supporters," he said.

Fans celebrate outside his home

After the swearing-in, jubilant supporters, Congress workers, and Muslim community leaders gathered at Azharuddin’s residence. Many draped him in shawls, offered sweets, and chanted “Congratulations, Azhar Bhai!” Others gifted him bouquets and fruit baskets in celebration.

From gully cricket to the captaincy of Team India, and now to a Cabinet post, Azharuddin’s life has come full circle. Having weathered controversy, loss, and redemption, he stands at yet another crease — this time in public service. Known for his elegance at the crease and resilience off it, “Azhu Bhai” now seems ready to “bat” for Telangana’s progress.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Telangana)