Mind remember playing against Azad when he was pro at Sunderland, If I remember rightly he was a hell of a bat and maybe was top runscorer in the league that season.
He was only there the one season though?
Yeah. Top run scorer that year. Signed a contract to come back the next year but there were issues over the amount and he ended up not coming.
I can remember him having a bet with one of the lads that he could clear the rugby grandstand at Ashbrooke. He hit one that just clipped the apex of the roof and turned to the dressing room with his arms spread, as if to say, "there you go".
"It hit the roof," came the reply.
"Ok," he shouts back, "next ball".
Telling everyone in the ground what he was going to try and do - including, obviously, the bowler.
Didn't matter. The next ball cleared the roof by yards and he won his bet.
Probably gets done regularly with today's bats.
If this was at ashbrooke I was there as a bairn with my dad watching. Got my photo took with wasim raja. Don't think azad got many and wouldn't have his photo took with me

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Was at Philly in a pre-season game. The clubs used to play every year for a inter-club trophy - don't know if they still do it. It was my first game after moving up from the Coast League.
Think he's deed actually
Died 11 years ago.
Remember Kirti Azad, he played Tests I'm sure.
Played about half-a-dozen. Used to show us pictures of him hitting Botham for six in a ODI. Think he went into politics.