Hyderabad: Former India cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin on Sunday denied reports that he has married for a third time. “News about my 3rd marriage is incorrect and false. Please check facts before publishing,” he tweeted. The denial came after a section of media carried reports that Azhar married his friend Shannon Marie, an American citizen. According to a report in Maharashtra Times, Azhar introduced Shanon as his wife when they visited house of his driver Jaan Mohammed in Mumbai on Saturday to console the family. The driver recently died.
The 52-year-old was reportedly spotted with Shanon during IPTL match featuring the Indian aces and Phillippine Mavericks in New Delhi. Azhar, who played 99 Tests and 334 ODIs for India, first married Naureen, with whom he had two sons. In 1996, he divorced her to marry model-turned-actress Sangeeta Bijlani. The couple is believed to have separated in 2010. Azhar, who shot to fame by hitting three consecutive centuries on debut in 1984-85, was one of the most successful captains. His career ended in disgrace in 2000 when he was banned for life from playing the game for his alleged involvement in match fixing.
Though the court lifted the ban in 2012, Azhar’s career was already over. The Hyderabad entered politics in 2009 and was elected to Lok Sabha from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. However, last year he lost the polls from Rajasthan’s Tonk-Sawai Madhopur constituency.