Throwback: When Navjot Sidhu fought with skipper Mohd Azharuddin, opener remains forthright always

One of Navjot Sidhu`s most controversial moment as a cricketer was back in 1996, when he decided to walk out of India`s England tour after a much-published falling out with then skipper Mohammed Azharduddin.

Former India skipper Navjot Singh Sidhu is not one to mince his words – whether it is in the political arena or on the cricket field or even in dressing room. One of Sidhu’s most controversial moment as a cricketer was back in 1996, when he decided to walk out of India’s England tour after a much-published falling out with then skipper Mohammed Azharduddin.

Many years later, former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jaywant Lele revealed what went on behind closed doors between Sidhu and Azhar. Lele in his autobiography, ‘I was There - Memoirs of a Cricket Administrator’ that Sidhu could not stomach the constant bad mouthing of Azharuddin and abandoned the tour in a huff.

“Everyday, when they met, he used to say ‘Good morning’, okay, but this was invariably followed by filthy words. At the hotel, at the nets, while passing on instructions, even while chatting with him, Azhar would address him with a prefix!

“Sidhu said he was terribly upset and decided it was not tolerable! He had not come on the tour to listen to abuses from the skipper. He was upset. so he decided to leave the team quietly,” Lele wrote in the book.

Former India batsman Mohinder Amarnath was part of a BCCI panel investigating Sidhu’s decision to leave the tour abruptly. “He (Amarnath) insisted that Sidhu tell him the words used by Azhar. Ultimately Sidhu came out with the words: ‘Maa ke......’!

“Finally, Mohinder told him 'Dear Sherry, okay, this is an abuse in North India. But, believe me, this is a very common naughty address to a dear one in Hyderabadi, often used by even ladies there! It means mother's dear child. While calling you with that prefix, Azhar was not showing slightest disrespect to you, leave aside any offence!” Lele wrote in his book.

Sidhu turned out in 51 Tests and 136 ODIs in an international career spanning 16 years. The Punjab batsman notched up 3202 Test runs at an average of 42.13 with nine centuries including a top-score of 201 against West Indies. In ODIs, he scored 4,413 runs at an average of 37.08 with six hundreds and 33 fifties.

His most famous ODI knock was probably the 93 he scored in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final against Pakistan. Sidhu was the one who stabilized the Indian innings before Ajay Jadeja’s famous assault on Waqar Younis which sealed an amazing Indian win.