5 reasons Mohammad Azharuddin should be remembered for more than match-fixing

The ending of any story tends to dictate how the entire tale is remembered. Indian captain MS Dhoni has said, "Till the full-stop doesn't come, the sentence is not complete." In the case of the story of another of India's prolific captains, the full stop came at a most inopportune point. And he has been judged for it ever since. The scandal has overshadowed his numerous personal accolades and laurels he brought to his country.The story of Mohammad Azharuddin, one of India's greatest captains and a singular talent on the field, is marred by allegations of match fixing which resulted in a lifelong ban handed down from the BCCI. Leaving aside the question of whether the ban was justified or not, we can make an objective attempt at separating the man on the field from the career ending incident off of it. Viewed in such an unbiased light, the career of Mohammad Azharuddin jumps out in start contrast to the tarnished memory of how it ended.Let us take a look at 5 reasons why Mohammad Azharuddin should be remembered for more than match fixing:

#1 Centurian Debut

Azharuddin has made India proud

Earning a cap for your country is something every cricketer aspires to do. When donning the cap of India, you have multifold expectations of a nation of a billion to live up to and exceed.

Most cricketers choose to work their way up while playing it safe. Then there are those like Azharuddin who arrive with a bang.

Azhar recounts his debut “I think I was not supposed to play in that Test because Sunil Gavaskar was the captain and he wanted to go in at number five. But the selector at that time -- Chandu Borde -- insisted that I play that game. So I was very nervous.”

It is one thing to arrive with a century in your opening match for your country, as Azhar did with his 110 against England in 1984. It takes a different breed to repeat that performance and go out and get another century in your next match. Azhar scored 105 runs against England in the very next match.

For good measure, Azharuddin wasn’t done with just scoring two centuries. In the third Test at Kanpur, he scored 122 runs to cap off a scintillating debut which remains unmatched to this date.

#2 Only Indian captain to lead India in 3 World Cups

Azhar with Sachin

Evidence of Azharuddin’s dependability and consistency can be gleaned from studying his remarkable record as captain of the Indian cricket team. Azhar remains the only Indian captain to have led India in three World Cups.

Azhar acknowledged the fight of captaining India. He has said, “You have to fight it out. You can't just leave things to fate and lose. You have to fight it out. You have to first prove to yourself and then to the people.”

In 1992, 1996 and 1999 World Cups, India were led by Azharuddin at the forefront. Both Kapil Dev and Srinivas Venkataraghavan come second in that aspect, having captained India in two World Cups.

Azhar won 14 Test matches and 103 ODI matches for India during the tenure of his captaincy.

I am the eldest son (five younger siblings) and it is my job to play captain even at home. I never show my emotions. When my son passed away, so many times I felt like crying, but then there are so many people behind me, like my parents. If I break down. they will break down and I need to carry them with me.

#3 Ferocious fielder

Azharuddin was a threat while fielding

Azharuddin remains as one of India’s first dominant fielders of all time, and certainly the most dominant one of his era. Of his fielding, Azhar has said. “I do a lot of hard work on fielding - I take a lot of catches.”

A lot is correct. He took 156 catches in 334 ODI matches. He also grabbed 105 catches from 147 Test innings.

Azhar was so prolific as a fielder, that it even overshadowed his batting at times. He has said, “I don’t have many fans left. Whenever I go out, people don’t ask me about my batting but always say Azhar sahab aap bahut ache fielder the.(Azhar, you were a really good fielder) But I remind them that I used to bat decently too,”

When one sees Azhar’s batting numbers, it brings into stark contrast the level of fielding he would have to sustain to let it overshadow his remarkable batting.

#4 A strong presence at the crease

Azhar terrorized bowlers

When Azharuddin set the benchmark for himself with three consecutive centuries, he set the bar high for himself. He described his approach to batting in modest terms. He said “Scoring runs is not in my hands. If He desires me to do well, nothing can prevent me from doing so. And if He has decided it is not my time, there is nothing I can do about it. All I have to do is try my best.”

Try his best he did. He averaged 45.03 runs over 99 Tests throughout his career. Mike Gatting, the English cricketer, spoke of Azharuddin’s batting warily. He said, “Whenever that black thing (referring to his taweez) hung out we knew we were in trouble.”

Azharuddin’s highest score in ODIs was an unbeaten 153 runs. He tallied a high score of 199 runs in an ODI as well. When VVS Laxman was compared to Azhar, he conceded privately saying “Please. There cannot be any comparison. ‘Azzu bhai' is far, far superior. I can't ape his class.”

#5 A dignified presence in India

Azharuddin is still sought for his wisdom

When some people are bogged down with allegations of match fixing, even if that is revoked later as it was in Azharuddin’s case, they tend to fade away from the spotlight. Azharuddin has held his head high and has continued to contribute to India.

Azhar has spoken of his dual responsibility as a member of the Parliament and a coach. "There will be no problem in attending Parliament and coaching a team. I can manage both. Mr. Farooq Abdullah asked me if I can coach the Jammu and Kashmir team and I gave my nod. I definitely enjoy coaching." he said.

Azharuddin has continued to maintain an active interest in the sport of cricket. He has worked with big names as well. He said "I've had stints with various English teams brought to India by Graham Gooch and John Emburey. Flintoff had a two-day stint with me in Mumbai. I'm interested in helping the young generation of players. People from abroad have taken my help; I'll be most happy to help Indian players.”

Regardless of one’s opinion on Azhar’s role in the scandal, it may be a disservice to his contributions to not remember him for more than just a that.