the most successful international batsman as far as number of runs and hundreds in both Test matches and One Day Internationals are concerned, is currently serving as an Indian Senator on a Congress ticket.
Former Sri Lankan World Cup-winning Captain Arjuna Ranatunga had served as his country’s Deputy Minister for Tourism.Another flashy Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya was elected a legislator for his native Matara state in 2010.
Great West Indian fast bowler Wesley Hall had served in the Barbados Senate and the Caribbean island’s House of Assembly. He was appointed the Barbados minister for tourism in 1987. Later he became the Reverend Wesley when he was ordained as a church minister and Sir Wesley when he was knighted in 2012
A famous English cricketer Ted Dexter, who had led his country in the 1964 Ashes series against Australia, had given up captaincy to contest a seat in the general election.However, he had lost to Jim Callaghan, who had gone on to become British Prime Minister.
Indian opening batsman Chetan Chauhan, partner of the great Sunil Gavaskar for many years, had found a place in the Indian Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament). He had twice won on a BJP ticket from Amroha (1991 and 1998).
Another Indian opening batsman Navjot Singh Sidhu had won two elections from Amritsar on a BJP ticket.Former Indian Cricket captain Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the late father of Bollywood stars Saif ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan, had contested Lok Sabha polls twice, once in 1971 and once in 1991.
Married to glamorous Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore, Nawab Patudi had lost both ballot exercises though.Defamed Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin, banned for life due to his involvement in match fixing, had also won an election on a Congress ticket from Moradabad.
Vinod Kambli, an Indian cricketer, actor and politician, had joined the Lok Bharti Party after retirement and became its vice-president. During the 2009 Vidhan Sabha election, he had contested from Mumbai and had lost.
Similarly, numerous other Indian cricketers like Manoj Prabhakar (banned for match-fixing), Kirti Azad (son of former Bihar Chief Minister Bhagwat Azad), Muhammad Kaif and Yograj Singh (father of the stylish Yuvraj Singh) etc had also tried and tested their skills in the political arena.
Former Pakistani fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz had contested a Punjab Assembly seat on a PPP ticket in the 1988 elections and was made a Sports Adviser by the then Prime Minister and PPP Chairperson, Benazir Bhutto.Former Pakistani batsman Aftab Gul, who played only six Test matches, was alleged to be a member of late Murtaza Bhutto’s militant Al-Zulfikar Organisation.A successful lawyer these days, Aftab thus had to lead an exiled life in Britain for many years.