Mansur Ali Khan ‘Tiger’ Pataudi

Calcutta: Mohammed Azharuddin has become the latest ex-India cricketer to join politics. It’s not clear whether he’ll be a candidate in the forthcoming general elections, but another former captain, the iconic Mansur Ali Khan ‘Tiger’ Pataudi, was unsuccessful in both attempts to enter the Lok Sabha. On Monday evening, Pataudi spoke to The Telegraph from his New Delhi residence.

The following are excerpts

Q What’s your take on Azhar taking to politics?

A I wish him luck, but I’d like to know whether he’s into it full-time... If Azhar indeed is, then he has to start doing a lot of work... Winning or losing shouldn’t matter... In fact, one has to be prepared to lose elections.

Will the match-fixing bit be an issue all the time?

Azhar’s opponents might rake it up if he stands for elections and they fear he could win... Personally, I feel he has already paid the price (with a life ban) and, so, it would be unfair to talk of that part of his past now.

What’s the future you see for Azhar in politics?

Depends on how hard Azhar works... The time and effort he puts in. He’s got to be serious.

Why do cricketers get attracted to politics?

Usually, they get invited by some party or the other... Their advantage is that they don’t have to introduce themselves from any platform… That way, there’s probably 30 per cent less work to do... If, for example, a relatively unknown person stands for elections, then that person’s entire history has to be repeated at every gathering.

What made you fight the 1971 general elections (from Gurgaon) on a ticket of a regional party, Vishal Haryana?

Actually, my mother wanted to stand, but I told her I would in her place... She wasn’t keeping well and I didn’t want her to exert herself... I fought against the Congress to register my protest at the way (Prime Minister) Mrs Indira Gandhi had been treating the Princes... The Princes were being bashed around and the Privy Purses were to be abolished (the move had been initiated in 1969).

You got thrashed in the elections...

That’s because I wasn’t into it seriously... Don’t forget I was still playing then.

What did that experience teach you?

That I’d wasted my time… Also, that one should only take to politics if he/she is absolutely serious about it. You can’t make it into a tamasha.

Didn’t you feel awkward when, 20 years later, you accepted Rajiv Gandhi’s offer to stand as the Congress candidate from Bhopal?

I didn’t... Look, one of the things about politics is that people shift around every now and then... Besides, I agreed because I’d been convinced about the changes Rajiv wanted to bring about. I had high regard for him.

Given your Bhopal connection, you ought to have won handsomely, but lost. Why?

I didn’t get a single Muslim vote... The electorate there had been very upset with the Congress over the Babri Masjid issue... Had the Muslims supported me, it would’ve been a cakewalk... Still, no Congress candidate had got the number of votes I did in many decades there... (After a pause) Rajiv got assassinated during those elections and I lost interest.

Is a third attempt possible?

Not a chance.

Why?

I think I’m too old (68)... It’s time for the much younger Azharuddins to get into politics.

But there are so many oldies in politics… Would you prescribe an age limit?

No... It’s a personal thing... You can’t have a cut-off for cricketers can you?

Should a Sourav Ganguly, Bengal’s biggest brand, enter politics?

If he’s keen, why not? Sourav shouldn’t do so only to please a few people... I’ll be happy if more sportspersons, not merely cricketers, take to politics.

Chetan Chauhan, Kirti Azad and Navjyot Sidhu took a cue from you...

The one big difference is that each of them made it to Parliament! Of course, somebody like Azad is from a political family.

Imran Khan has been a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly and Arjuna Ranatunga is a member of the Sri Lanka Parliament... You didn’t win an election, but are hailed as an outstanding captain... Are good cricket captains bound to make good leaders?

Honestly, haven’t thought about it... They could...

Have you had a role model-politician?

No... Don’t believe in role models and icons.

What if somebody invited you to campaign in the forthcoming general elections?

If I like the person and the constituency is close to Delhi, then I wouldn’t mind going and saying a few words.

The final one: How do you expect the script to play out in the elections?

(After a pause) It’s pure conjecture, but I think we’ll again have a hung Lok Sabha... The Congress, though, could do a bit better than the last time (2004)... However, as I’ve said, it’s pure conjecture today.

Note: In the 1971 general elections, Pataudi finished a poor third, managing no more than 5.9 per cent of the votes in Gurgaon. The seat was won by Tayyab Hussain of the Congress. In 1991, Pataudi finished second (behind the BJP’s S.C.Verma) in Bhopal, getting 35.9 per cent of the votes.