Mohali, Dec. 2 :
?I have no regrets. I know I always tried hard to give my best,? said former Test cricketer Navyjot Singh Sidhu while declaring his retirement from first class cricket after an illustrious career spanning more than 16 years.
Addressing a press conference here today, the former India opener said: ?I know that I won?t be taken into the Indian side any more. I could have continued to represent Punjab for another couple of years but youngsters should be given chance to excel.?
The right-hander, who opened in Tests with Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Manoj Prabhakar and V. V. S. Laxman, said: ?My limitations outnumbered my virtues.?
Sidhu started his Test career in 1983 in the Ahmedabad Test against the West Indies. He made his one-day International debut against Australia in Chennai in 1987. In his first one-day match he scored 73.
He did not want to comment on queries on current controversies in Indian cricket.
A product of Gymkhana Club, Patiala Sidhu said Punjab needed a few more youngsters like Reetinder Sodhi.
Sidhu?s Test best was 201 against the West Indies in March, 1997 at Port-of-Spain. The 37-year-old?s best one-day score was 134, in Gwalior in March 1993, against England.
He aggregated 4,415 runs from 136 one-day Internationals and 3,202 from 51 Tests.
Refusing to comment on the reported match-fixing allegations in the game, he maintained he had never been contacted by any person in this regard.
Responding to his reported differences with Mohammed Azharuddin, he said it was no more than just a misunderstanding.
?We have misunderstandings in our families too,? he added. ?I faced tough situations on several occasions but never carried those on to the crease,? he said. ?Though I am retiring, I will never take out my feelings in open to your tricky questions.?
Regarding holding public meetings and cultural shows on cricket grounds, he felt these should be kept for cricket only.
Sidhu said he had intentions of becoming a commentator like other cricketers did after retirement.
He, however, did not rule out the possibility of entering politics and said if he became a politician he would only stick to the Congress as his parents had spent years in the party affairs.