CHENNAI: Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has triggered both surprise and controversy by making sarcastic remarks about Sachin Tendulkar in an interview with a magazine. On what he felt about Tendulkar's modest success as skipper, Azhar said: "I don't want to talk about him.
There are some people I just don't want to talk about. Tendulkar didn't have it in him to succeed as captain."
Azhar and Tendulkar were teammates for years, the former having captained and also played under the latter's captaincy . Asked about claims that he did not play to his full potential under Tendulkar, Azhar said: "It is not true. You can check the stats. I scored more runs than anyone in the team during his stint as capt ain." With his comments drawing widespread attention, Azhar subsequently insisted that he had been "dragged into a controversy." He argued that "millions" of people do not consider Tendulkar a good captain. "Why is it a big issue when Azharuddin says it?" Now an MP, Azhar says he , is "not in touch" with his for d mer teammates. "I have a diff erent life and I thank God for d giving me patience. This qual o ity has helped me come a long way, he said. New Delhi, February 16: Former India skipper Mohammed Azharuddin on Wednesday lashed out at the media for dragging him into an unnecessary controversy on the basis of some "insignificant" comments, but stood by his opinion that Sachin Tendulkar did not have it in him to succeed as a captain.
Azharuddin said it was not only him but "millions" of people who do not consider Tendulkar a good captain.
"If I don't consider Sachin as a good captain then there are millions who too have their reservations on the issue. Sachin himself hasn't sought the captaincy since he left it a decade ago. Why when Azharuddin says it becomes such a big issue.
Is it because I keep to myself and don't like shouting from the rooftop?" asked Azharuddin.
"I see myself being dragged into a controversy . I can see my plain and simple approach to life has again opened me up to motivated attacks. People are looking for hidden meanings where there is none .... leave inane comments as it actually are -just inane and certainly not worthy of a controversy ," he said, while reacting to reports which suggested that he and Tendulkar did not get along well during their playing days.
The controversial former captain also said that he has not kept track of his former teammates, including Tendulkar, as he has other things to do in life f and he did not want to pretend that he was too much involved with the game.
"Consider the facts. If Sachin and I haven't kept up to each other it isn't an earth-shattering news. After all, so many associations and relationships do t drift apart after a while. It happens within a family . It isn't as if I alone am to be blamed for it," he reasoned.
"The same is true for other former colleagues. I have moved on in life and so have they . We are busy with our lives. Why do we have to keep up the pretence?
Cricket was a splendid chapter of my life; indeed it made me what I am today .
However cricket alone isn't the only flavour of life. Sometimes indeed we tend to take sports too seriously and life too casually ," he said.
Azharuddin, who retired in 2000 after 15 years of interna tional cricket, said he has had his share of glory and limelight as player and captain of Indian cricket team and he is now happy to pursue a political career. " All these years, I haven't hankered for attention and publicity . My cricket days are over and I am happy attending to my constituency and campaigning for Congress Party .
I don't say or do things to attract publicity . I have had my fill of fame and attention -99 Tests and 334 one-dayers; 47 Tests and 174 one-day matches as captain. And incidentally I won more matches than I lost as skipper in both formats of game.
It isn't to say I don't follow the game. I feel India has an excellent chance in this World Cup.
I rate (MS) Dhoni high and find the team to have an unusually good balance. If they trust their ability , India could go far. Let the spotlight be on cricketing action," he said.