Mohammad Azharuddin, India's tainted former captain, has sold off his house and expensive cars and moved into rentedpremises to raise funds for himself, according to a report.

Azharuddin, who is fighting a legal battle over a life ban imposed by the Indian cricket authorities for his alleged involvement in match-fixing, is facing a tough financial future, according to the Indian website thenewspapertoday.com.

"Azha, as his friends call him, may be running out of money," the website reported from Azharuddin's home town of Hyderabad.

"The cricketer tried to start life afresh by moving with model-actress wife Sangeeta Bijlani from Bombay to Hyderabad and even floating an event-management company.

"But it went bust after one fashion show in the city that didn't have many sponsors.

"Azharuddin has sold his plush bungalow on Banjara Hills to well-known event managers Namdhari India, and also paid a huge sum - reportedly close to one crore rupees ($US208,000) - to settle with first wife Naureen and gain custody of their two sons."

"Life has taken a turn for the worse for the former cricket star," said the website, which belongs to the respected India Today group.

It said that Azharuddin, known for his flashy and expensive lifestyle during his playing days, had moved into a rented house not far from that of Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the Jubilee Hills area.

"Azharuddin has sold his foreign cars, including a sleek silver convertible Mercedes, for about $42,000. His friends say this is an ominous sign."

Azharuddin has lived a reclusive life in Hyderabad since the Central Bureau of Investigation named him as one of their prime suspects in the match-fixing scandal.

He has refused to talk to reporters, who have instead turned to the cricketer's close friends and relatives to know about his life.

The website also hinted that Azharuddin was on the verge of parting ways with his present wife. "Azhar and Sangeeta are no longer regulars on the circuit. This has fuelled speculation about them parting ways, leaving Azhar in emotional dire straits besides the financial mess," the report said. A worried Azharuddin is seriously exploring ways of raising funds."

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd