Former Indian cricket captain and senior Congress leader Mohammad Azharuddin today began a new innings on a political pitch when he was sworn in as a minister in the Telangana cabinet.
The Governor Jishnu Dev Verma administered the oath of office and secrecy to the former cricketer at Raj Bhavan. His induction fills a long-standing vacancy and provides the Congress government with its first Muslim representation in the cabinet.
The Opposition in Telangana had framed the move as an electoral calculation aimed at the November 11 by-poll in the city’s Jubilee Hills constituency, which has an estimated 30 per cent Muslim electorate. Already, the All India Majlis-Ittehadul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) is supporting the Congress candidate Naveen Yadav. Azharuddin’s elevation is expected to consolidate Congress’s base.
The BJP found fault with Azharuddin being made a minister barely two weeks before the by-election, alleging that it amounted to a violation of the model code of conduct.
The ruling Congress justified the move as the fulfilment of a commitment to social justice. "The Congress party had committed to ensuring cabinet representation for minorities. Governments, even in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, always included a minority face. We are simply correcting a long-overdue imbalance," Telangana Congress chief Mahesh Goud said.
Telangana State Electoral Officer Sudharshan Reddy sought clarification on the BJP’s letter from the EC on October 30. The EC cleared the swearing-in of Azharuddin.
The swearing-in ceremony was held in the presence of senior leaders, including the Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy and all his 14 Cabinet colleagues. With his induction, the strength of the cabinet has gone up to 16.
Azharuddin is not a member of either the legislative assembly or the council yet, which is necessary to become a state minister. He has already been nominated to the legislative council under the Governor's quota, but the Governor has not yet approved the proposal. He must be inducted as an MLC within the next six months to retain his ministerial post.
Flawed Hero
Azharuddin had an envious career, marked by stylish batting and successful captaincy, but it all came crashing down following his alleged involvement in match-fixing in the past. His fall from grace is one of the darkest chapters in the history of Indian sports.
A life ban saw his 15-year-long cricketing career coming to an abrupt and ignominious end.
The controversies continue to follow him even after that. The recent one pertained to an alleged money laundering case. He was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the alleged financial irregularities in the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) under his watch. He was accused of misappropriating funds during his tenure.
Azharuddin was the HCA president from 2019 to 2023—a tenure marked by bitter infighting and legal troubles in the sports body. The matter finally reached the Supreme Court, which constituted a one-member committee to clear the mess.
The committee had disqualified Azharuddin from contesting the HCA elections. He was removed from the list of voters on the grounds of conflict of interest as he was president of the Deccan Blues Cricket Club while serving as the president of HCA till early 2023.
Wristy player
Despite being one of India’s most successful captains and a prolific batsman, the match-fixing scandal has permanently damaged his image. He led the Indian team through much of the 1990s. He played 99 Tests and scored 6125 runs at an average of 45.
He also appeared in 334 ODIs, scoring 9378 runs at an average of 36.92 during a 15-year career. He took the cricketing world by storm in 1984-85 with a world record of three consecutive centuries in three Tests on his debut in England. He could play wrist strokes with ease, and his flicks were impeccable.
Azhar was the first cricketer in the country to get a life ban for involvement in match-fixing. On December 5, 2000, the BCCI had imposed a life ban after a CBI probe established his involvement. In the same case, Ajay Jadeja and Manoj Prabhakar were suspended for five years, while test player Ajay Sharma also received a life ban.
Tumultuous personal life
The Hyderabadi cricketer’s personal life, too, was far from smooth. A tragedy struck his family in September 2011 when his teenage son Mohammed Ayazuddin, a budding cricketer, died in a road accident on the city outskirts while riding his superbike at high speed. Ayazuddin had played in the under-13, under-15 and under-19 sides and was considered a promising talent.
Azhar married Naureen, a local girl, in 1987, and the couple had two children. After divorcing his wife, the cricketer married Bollywood actress Sangita Bijlani in 1993. However, the relationship did not last long.
Azhar took a political plunge in 2009 by joining the Congress and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh in 2009. Presently, he is the working president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC). He made an unsuccessful attempt to secure a party ticket to contest the assembly elections in 2023 from Jubilee Hills constituency in the city.
Also read: Mohammad Azharuddin may be inducted in Telangana cabinet
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