Express News Service By

Putting an end to the debate over whether he would be joining politics after retirement, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has said he has no intention of joining politics.

Responding to media reports that he would be campaigning for the Congress party during the forthcoming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Tendulkar sent text messages to his friends in which he firmly denied any such moves. “Even after I retire from cricket, I have no intention of joining politics or being part of any political rally or campaign because my father wanted me to stay away from politics,”said Tendulkar in his message to some of his friends in Mumbai.

The message sent by Tendulkar would surely dampen the spirits of many Congressmen who were hoping that India’s most respected cricketer would at least campaign for the party if not join it.

Those, who have known Sachin for many years, said he is the last person to join politics. “It’s not just his numerous records, but also his spotless reputation and behaviour in public life that are so well-liked. After enjoying such a reputation, why would Tendulkar give it all away by joining politics, where there is a controversy at every turn?” said a person who knows the cricketer. Sachin’s aversion to politics is so well-known that even Nationalist Congress Party chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who is also the Mumbai Cricket Association president, said he would not join politics.

Asked about the move by Congressmen in Madhya Pradesh to get Sachin to campaign for them, Pawar said, “As much as I know Sachin, he will not be joining or campaigning for any party.”