April 6, 1998

One night, last week, a strange thing happened at a charity auction of cricket memorabilia. Of the 24 items auctioned -- where Shastri's T-shirt which began at a reserve (starting) price of Rs 750 went for Rs 5,000 -- only one item did not move beyond its reserve price: Azhar's bat. It was ironic, it was tragic. Cricket captains are worshipped in India. Yet India's most successful captain is remembered too often, less for heroic deeds, more for controversy. Slapping a photographer, his romance with a film star, the fracas with Navjot Sidhu in England in 1996, and the damaging accusations of match-fixing. Of the last he says, "The shadow will go away because it's not true." History will be the final judge, but this much needs saying: if he has erred as a man, he has been punished too even when he hasn't. There is no presumption of innocence with him; he is always guilty. As he says not without a trace of anguish: "Sometimes, I feel nothing I do is good enough."

Some agree. Says Kumble, "Most of the time that I read on him it was not on cricket and that's not right." Sangeeta is a good reference. He was criticised for taking her on tour, letting her ride in the team bus, asking for a room of his own even when he wasn't captain. Perhaps it was incorrect; perhaps too a man "with few close friends" at the lowest point of his life -- on the field and off it -- urgently required his only emotional anchor around him, the woman who he admits "always backs me up". Few others did and that hurts him.

He earned no empathy, only suspicion. So much that a weaker man might have broken. In 1996, when he played with beauteous contempt against South Africa in Calcutta for 109 in 78 balls, it was insinuated he was trying to throw his wicket. "No one," he says, "remembers that I was injured and saved the follow on." No one paused to recollect that for half a decade he'd been batting like a whirlwind on a short visit. As Saurav Ganguly says, "That's how he scores. I mean they could have said the same of Lord's." He's speaking of England 1990 when Azhar scored 121 in 112 balls; then he was described by Mike Brearley as "a modern Ranji".

His penchant for the good life too attracted disdain, as if becoming rich was some capital offence. "I'm slogging all day, taking the criticism, I deserve it," he says. He can afford it too, with a Rs 50 lakh and more per year contract with Reebok, and possibly a more lucrative one with Pepsi. It wasn't always so. As a young hero with two centuries already for India, in Hyderabad he would cycle to practice, return home, drop his two sisters ("one at the back, one in the front") to school and then return the cycle in time for his father to get to office. That today he relishes his 450 or so ties, his three cars (two Mercedes and a Honda), his bungalow in Mumbai, his Versace and Brioni suits and his numerous pairs of dark glasses (Oakley, Versace, Ray Ban, name it) makes him seem like a boy with toys he could never afford but now can. Hidden too is a compulsive generosity that defines him, stories rarely told and ones he will not speak of: "Arre mat likhna, it will seem like showing off." At benefit matches he often slips the beneficiary a personal cheque, apparently gifting Ranji Trophy player Shashikant Khandekar Rs 50,000 recently. When Ajit Wadekar retired, he gave him a Rolex watch.

Not everyone sees him that way. Specifically his lack of spirit when Tendulkar was captain. Says Bishen Bedi flatly, "He didn't give Sachin full cooperation." Retorts Azhar: "Pagal hai sab, see how many runs I made, like in South Africa." Statistically he has an argument. During his own captaincy between 1989-1996, he scored seven centuries in 37 matches for an average of 43.63; under Tendulkar's captaincy between 1996-97 to 1997-98, he scored five centuries in 17 matches for an average of 46.52. But statistics is but one measure, it was his demeanour that was under scrutiny. The charitable say his reticence was interpreted as a lack of support to Tendulkar; the less impressed believed he failed to reciprocate the commitment Tendulkar shows under him. It came to a head in Sharjah 1997, when Azhar inexplicably attempted singles that perhaps existed only in his mind, leading Gavaskar to say on television, "There will be no tomorrows for him if he continues like that" or something to that effect. Rages Azhar now, "Can he change my tomorrows?" Stupefyingly, Gavaskar did change his tomorrow. But not in the way either man envisaged.

It appears the selectorial meetings held after Sharjah were more to resurrect Azhar than discipline him. "They asked me what's wrong and I said we have to play collectively and that's not happening. I also said people are putting things into the minds of players," says Azhar. The inference was obvious: former players were attempting to influence Tendulkar. But more pertinent is a singular comment one selector made: "Gavaskar's statement has saved Azhar." Here too the inference was clear: the selector, unhappy with Gavaskar's strong opinions, saw this as a chance to take on the Little Master. How could Gavaskar change Azhar's tomorrows, only the selectors could -- and so Azhar was made captain again.

He has not the intellect of Mike Brearley, the considered reasoning of Mark Taylor, but Azhar cannot be as tactically retarded as he made out to be. "Terrible captaincy," muttered Keith Stackpole in Chennai when Azhar posted three men on the fence for Ian Healy and let the Australian take singles at will. By habit Azhar was letting things drift. But occasionally, and never advertised, he gets it right too. Kumble, for instance, had decided in Chennai, "I was only going to bowl over the wicket. Then Azhar gestured to me, just try one ball round the wicket. I wasn't keen but I did it and first ball Mark Waugh was gone."

Comparing Azhar with Tendulkar is a silly business. The young genius was burdened with a raw squad (no Srinath in the West Indies either) and toured abroad -- South Africa and the West Indies -- where Indian teams have never flourished. Too early to be judged, Tendulkar was possibly unlucky; is Azhar plain lucky? In 1989 Raman Lamba hurt his toe in Pakistan and Azhar returned to the team and retained his place with a century; losing in South Africa in 1992-93 he contemplated quitting captaincy, stayed on and swept England 3-0 at home; in this year's Independence Cup final, he brought in Robin Singh at No. 3, a move that failed for Tendulkar, yet this time Robin's 82 changed the course of the tournament. And now his Second Coming has coincided with a home series, aided by a team more experienced and a spinning trio that has sent the baffled Australians searching for a psychotherapist. But does luck alone account for a Test captaincy record that is superior to any other man who led India (see box)? Is Azhar the only man to have exploited home advantage -- in the past 12 years only two captains have won series abroad, Kapil Dev in England in 1986 and Azhar in Sri Lanka in 1993. No, if sport is measured by pure achievement -- win or lose and not how -- then he deserves the same standard of judgement.

He is not for sure still a great captain, but he appears more positive, more forceful in approach. Yet arguments rage on. His mantra that "players should know their responsibility and I don't like to give one-hour lectures" endures. Pataudi laughs, saying, "That was my philosophy too, but it didn't work. Sometimes you have to cajole players." But Azhar's insular style makes him awkward and coach Anshuman Gaekwad believes "he should mix some more". There is a perception that he retreats too quickly to his room, switching off his dynamo once play is over. Yet, as Ganguly says: "Hey, we're grown ups, we should know what to do."

Managing and motivating the diversity of personalities that define Indian teams have been every captain's nightmare. Says Amrit Mathur, manager when Azhar led India to South Africa in 1992-93, "Tactically he was okay, in managing people less than okay. But now he's more experienced." Indeed, to say flatly that he can't motivate is cruel -- as Rahul Dravid responds, "When I was 21 and going through a tough time, he, this captain of India, came and threw balls to me for 15 minutes and helped me." No, the biggest change is that Azhar may have found a method, a slot to step into. As Pataudi explains, "There are two types of captains. Those who push from the back like Brearley, or those who lead from the front like Richie Benaud. I think Azhar is now leading, setting the example." Like 400 sit-ups a day, a batting average of 126.5 after the first two Tests, and more fleet at 35 than contemporaries a decade behind. States Dravid: "He motivates you with his sheer performance."

Azhar realises he has work to do. A team that he says "tends to get negative" must believe; an attitude where "we often think close matches are over when they're not" must change. He has ensured Tendulkar, though not the one-day vice-captain, attends tour meetings, and the small man has responded generously. The thing is we can see Tendulkar's heart; Azhar needs to tear his shirt and expose his own. It is there, it is unseen.

Mohammed Azharuddin will never quite be understood. The man with the Versace suit in the closet and the prayer mat on the floor; the small town boy never allowed to watch films now married to an actress; the private man caught in the most public of careers. He instinctively knows too that the accusations will never cease. Except this time he seems to be prepared. In his room, he suddenly pulls out a black diary and reads quotations impromptu from it. "My real job comes as soon as I step off the field and have to deal with the contradictions and expectations that come with being in the spotlight." Then he reads another. "Patience is a bitter plant but the fruit is very sweet." It is a poignant moment, as if he is reminding himself of what is required of him.

And so in this Second Coming for once let him not be prejudged. Let him alter his destiny without men standing in his way. As an old Tamil couplet goes: "The great and the not so great are remembered by what they leave behind." The legacy of Mohammed Azharuddin is to be completed. But he has made a fair start.

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