Who was your Fav-Sachin or Azhar in the 90's

[maniac]

Before the match fixing scandal of 99-00's.Azharuddiin was my favouraite player.I enjoyed watching him bat as much if not more than Sachin. As I read before,from some one on this board, I tried to imitate his batting style,the way he would upturn his collar,his underarm flick of the ball while fielding too. I remember in a couple of ODI'S,it took Azhar to calm down an angry crowd and he was definetely as popular as Sachin.I guess a lot of fans during those days were not happy with Sachin's captaincy. Lots of fans including myself were more of Azhar fans than Sachin fans during those days.I guess Azhar's fall from grace cemented Sachin's legacy even more. Before this ****** sold his soul to the devil ,how many of you were more of an Azhar fan than Sachin during this time. I am trying to put aside the prejudice I share with all of you for this traitor and honestly say that during this time I was more of an Azhar fan than Sachin.

[Andy]

Of course Sach, During My Days Azhar used to get out without crossing double figures mostly.

[Sachin=GOD]

Goddy without a shadow of doubt.

[Mamu]

Now that we have exhausted all the people who Sachin can be compared to we have gotten down to Azhar? Why on the earth would this thought even come to someone is beyond me?

[maniac]

Now that we have exhausted all the people who Sachin can be compared to we have gotten down to Azhar? Why on the earth would this thought even come to someone is beyond me?

Dude relax...I am not comparing them in terms of talent or what they have acheieved,I am just talking about a time when Azhar was as popular as Sachin among Indian cricket fans. In the early 2000's there was a time when Dada was as popular as Sachin too. The very fact that Sachin is a benchmark while comparing any player shows that he has gone beyond anyone's league.I am just expressing my opinion that there was a time when Azhar was my favouraite cricketer in the Indian team and he also enjoyed public support as much as Sachin did.

[Shakthi]

I repeat once and for all no other player dominated Indian Cricket like Sachin this guy scored a test century when he was 17 against great bowlers u can have ur sehwags laxmans dravids jadejas srinaths but no one can be like Sachin its is a insult to compare Azhar on par with Sachin . Sachin is a honest cricketer worked hard to earn such a fabulous career where as Azhar was too busy taking gifts from Dawood Ibrahim and losing matches for India.

[maniac]

I repeat once and for all no other player dominated Indian Cricket like Sachin this guy scored a test century when he was 17 against great bowlers u can have ur sehwags laxmans dravids jadejas srinaths but no one can be like Sachin its is a insult to compare Azhar on par with Sachin . Sachin is a honest cricketer worked hard to earn such a fabulous career where as Azhar was too busy taking gifts from Dawood Ibrahim and losing matches for India.

Guys again you are taking me out of context....Please read my post again...we all hate Azhar now and Sachin is well...SACHIN...I am just saying that in the 90's the only guy who matched Sachin in terms of popularity was Azhar who happened to be my favouraite player during THAT TIME...it's like in the 80's when Kapil and Sunny had their own set of fans but both sets of fans equally respected both of them I cannot be more clear than that.Let me put it again Azhar was a chor but before he got caught there was a time we all loved him too..so I am talking about that time

[Mamu]

Dude relax...I am not comparing them in terms of talent or what they have acheieved' date='I am just talking about a time when Azhar was as popular as Sachin among Indian cricket fans.[/quote'] Azhar was --- when ? Not for me. I have always looked up to Sachin since 1989, even when he was not scoring a lot initially, the buzz he had created -- made him the favorite and popular. Who ever followed his career since his Mumbai days -- will agree with me. And just to let you know -- I have followed Azhar's career as well since his Pre-India days.

In the early 2000's there was a time when Dada was as popular as Sachin too.

:ohmy::ohmy: Are you kidding me?

The very fact that Sachin is a benchmark while comparing any player shows that he has gone beyond anyone's league.I am just expressing my opinion that there was a time when Azhar was my favouraite cricketer in the Indian team and he also enjoyed public support as much as Sachin did.

So was I. I was a big fan of him since his Ranji Days, Duleep Trophy and Irani Days. He debuted in 84 and and we all went gaga -- but very soon I realized he is a man with limitations and flaws which would soon be exposed (which is what ended up happening), which would restrict him to be just good and not great. The way he handled WI and OZ pacemen was - something !

[maniac]

Azhar was --- when ? Not for me. I have always looked up to Sachin since 1989, even when he was not scoring a lot initially, the buzz he had created -- made him the favorite and popular. Who ever followed his career since his Mumbai days -- will agree with me. And just to let you know -- I have followed Azhar's career as well since his Pre-India days.

Unfortunately there were no blogs or forums back then....Sachin's captaincy was not the very popular among Indian cricket fans..I am basically talking about popularity among massess...Crowds especially in Kanpur and Kolkatta were very pro Azhar and I remember atleast a couple of times when he Azhar and not Sachin who was requested to intervene to cool off angry crowds. Let me summarise what I am trying to say for me in the late 80's to end of 90's,Azhar was my favouraite player.Sachin is a once in a lifetime cricketer but in the 90's we had hope when even Sachin was out as long as Azhar was at the crease too. Beleive me I knew a fair share of azhar fans for the way he batted and his fielding. years of hating this traitor and during this period Sachin's growth in stature as a person and cricketer erased our memories but just think with clarity for a second,We need to accept that there was a time when these two were our best players and infact Azhar was the highest run scorer in ODI's for a period of time.

[coffee_rules]

Aesthetically speaking it was Azhar.

[Roshanrocks]

Sachin i don remember anyone being azhar's fan in those days... of course people liked him,,, but once sachin got out...peeps used to shut off the tv :dontknow:

[Indiafan-Hyd]

Stop Sachin Puja already

[jusarrived]

seriously , this is why I cant stand Tendulkar fans . there isn nothing wrong with op , infact in the 90s Azhar had a huge fan flowing , I was one of them ...infact a lot of people rated kambli above Tendulkar ..it was only ~97 sachin took off

[ZodiaC]

In the early 2000's there was a time when Dada was as popular as Sachin too.

:haha: When was this exactly? :giggle:

[DomainK]

Dude relax...I am not comparing them in terms of talent or what they have acheieved' date='I am just talking about a time[b'] when Azhar was as popular as Sachin among Indian cricket fans. In the early 2000's there was a time when Dada was as popular as Sachin too. The very fact that Sachin is a benchmark while comparing any player shows that he has gone beyond anyone's league.I am just expressing my opinion that there was a time when Azhar was my favouraite cricketer in the Indian team and he also enjoyed public support as much as Sachin did.

I think I have lived through that time and once Sachin had played a few matches, there was no other Indian cricketer as popular as Sachin ever. They both shared a wonderful friendship at one point of time and many credit Azhar for getting the best out of Sachin when he was at a vulnerable age, but Azhar himself was never more popular than Sachin.

[Sachin=GOD]

seriously , this is why I cant stand Tendulkar fans . there isn nothing wrong with op , infact in the 90s Azhar had a huge fan flowing , I was one of them ...infact a lot of people rated kambli above Tendulkar ..it was only ~97 sachin took off

Goddy had already made around 9000 international runs and 22 hundreds by 1997. Azhar might have been popular but as compared to Sachin he was nowhere near.

[vamos_rafa]

seriously , this is why I cant stand Tendulkar fans . there isn nothing wrong with op , infact in the 90s Azhar had a huge fan flowing , I was one of them ...infact a lot of people rated kambli above Tendulkar ..it was only ~97 sachin took off

Agreed to what you said about Kambli. Infact I read somewhere that once Ramakant Achrekar himslef said that VK was the more talented of the 2. Infact Azhar was very popular at one stage. People here are writing his poularity off just like that. But that is not the case. YEs the Indian then team WAS a one man show but Azhar was pretty famous back then. But where I would disagree with you is that Sachin took off after 97. He was doing very well in all forms of the game before that period as well.

[Dinx - the Jinx]

i was never a fan of azhar. and in the 90s he was awful. many times he will get out cheap or get out when we need him most (in hindsight, those were all fixed). sachin is way beyond azhar in all aspects. when i was in college, i had a lot of telugu friends, who used to idolize azhar. i used to wonder how on earth people can be fans of anyone other than sachin (during those times). also i used to believe that azhar's fielding is just hyped up because there was no other fielder in India who was close. he used to just pick up the ball and quickly dispatch it towards their stumps with an underarm flick, just to make it look dramatic. I'm sure 90% of the times they never hit the stumps nor anywhere closer. but the speed with which he used to flick it back made it look like extraordinary stuff. his captaincy was also not of great quality. he was never known for encouraging or grooming or backing a youngster. sachin never needed his backing. but there were plenty of talents who just came and went in the 90s (kambli, amre etc), who could have been groomed. he used to say, 'these are international cricketers, they dont need me to tell them what they have to do' etc. during those times, his press meets used to hijacked with questions about his divorce and affair with sangita so all in all, he was over hyped by telugu guys and a successful home record

[Dinx - the Jinx]

Unfortunately there were no blogs or forums back then....Sachin's captaincy was not the very popular among Indian cricket fans..I am basically talking about popularity among massess...Crowds especially in Kanpur and Kolkatta were very pro Azhar and I remember atleast a couple of times when he Azhar and not Sachin who was requested to intervene to cool off angry crowds.

that was because the bangalore crowd rioted after azhar was wrongly given out lbw and it was shown on the big screen (one of the league games in the titan cup against australia). he showed his displeasure before leaving the field and also after going to dressing room, he was shown frowning and the crowd started rioting the police had to request him so much before he moved his **** and went around to pacify the crowd. so basically he was called to do that because he was the one who got out and was a senior cricketer in the side at that moment (sachin was captain) http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/66061.html finally, srinath and kumble managed to get us past the target

[maniac]

when i was in college, i had a lot of telugu friends, who used to idolize azhar. i used to wonder how on earth people can be fans of anyone other than sachin (during those times).

Dude don't bring regionalism into this....Azhar was as popluar if not more in Kolkatta and Kanpur as he was in Hyderabad...It's like saying only Bengalis like Dada.

so all in all, he was over hyped by telugu guys and a successful home record

You made some points for a healthy debate and then had to ruin it with that...