Mohammad Azharuddin

Mohammad Azharuddin

India

Full name Mohammad Azharuddin
Born February 8, 1963, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Current age 44 years 19 days
Major teams India, Derbyshire, Hyderabad
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium

Batting and fielding averages

class	mat	inns	no	runs	hs	ave	bf	sr	100	50	6s	ct	st
Tests	99	147	9	6215	199	45.03			22	21	19	105	0
ODIs	334	308	54	9378	153*	36.92	12673	73.99	7	58		156	0
First-class	229	343	38	15855	226	51.98			54	74		220	0
List A	433	399	70	12941	161*	39.33			11	85		200	0

Bowling averages

class	mat	balls	runs	wkts	bbi	bbm	ave	econ	sr	4	5	10
Tests	99	13	16	0	-	-	-	7.38	-	0	0	0
ODIs	334	552	479	12	3/19	3/19	39.91	5.20	46.00	0	0	0
First-class	229	1432	786	17	3/36		46.23	3.29	84.23		0	0
List A	433	827	709	15	3/19	3/19	47.26	5.14	55.13	0	0	0

Career statistics
Test debut	India v England at Kolkata - Dec 31, 1984 - Jan 5, 1985
Last Test	India v South Africa at Bangalore - Mar 2-6, 2000
ODI debut	India v England at Bangalore - Jan 20, 1985
Last ODI	India v Pakistan at Dhaka - Jun 3, 2000
First-class span	1981/82 - 1999/00
List A span	1983/84 - 1999/00

Notes

Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1991

Profile

Wisden overview
Those who saw this supreme batting artist at his peak will never forget him - sinewy wrists transforming a slender piece of willow into a magician's wand. Azhar's leg-side play was reminiscent of Zaheer Abbas and Greg Chappell - a Michelangelo in the midst of housepainters. In later years, he expanded his off-side repertoire, and conjured some of the finest innings played in the modern era - his 121 at Lord's in 1990 was one for the gods. His technique was suspect against the short stuff, a deficiency he sought to overcome through instinctive strokeplay, sometimes with cavalier disregard for the team situation. As captain, Azhar enjoyed tremendous success on made-to-order home pitches, while right to the end of his career he was peerless in the field, whether prowling the covers or pouching catches at slip. He announced his arrival, against England in 1984-85, with three hundreds in his first three Tests, a feat that has never been match, while his last Test innings also bore him a hundred. But then allegations of match-fixing provided an emphatic full stop. That he finished his career with 99 Tests is perhaps appropriate for one who came within a whisker of batting immortality - only to throw it all away at close of play.