5 cricketers who have held important government positions

Imran Khan, the former enigmatic skipper of the Pakistani cricket team, has won cricket's most coveted trophy, the ICC World Cup for his nation. Now, he is likely to win big in the field of politics, as the 65-year-old is pipped to be Pakistan's next Prime Minister. In the Pakistani general election of 2018, his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf won 116 seats amongst the contested 270, according to the Electoral Commission's announcement on 28th July.

However, Khan is not the only cricketer who turned his attention towards politics after hanging his boots. History will testify that there has been a string of cricketers who changed their field of interest post-retirement, or in some case while playing cricket. Let us have a look at 5 cricketers who have held important positions in the government:

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#5 Kirti Azad

Azad is currently serving his third term in Lok Sabha

Kirti Azad, the son of former Chief Minister of Bihar Bhagwat Jha Azad, had a good domestic career, but couldn't impress in the bigger stages. Azad was a part of the 1980-81 Indian team that toured Australia and New Zealand. Having played 7 Tests and 25 ODIs for his country, the 59-year-old failed to produce one memorable performance.

In 2014, the Purnea-born cricketer-turned-politician contested the Lok Sabha elections from Darbhanga in Bihar, which he won. Previously, he was an MLA from Gole Market constituency of Delhi. He was suspended by the Bharatiya Janata Party on 2015 for openly targeting the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Arun Jaitley and corruption in Delhi & District Cricket Association.

#4 Arjuna Ranatunga

Ranatunga contested his first Parliamentary elections just a year after his retirement

As it turns out, Imran Khan is not the only ICC World Cup-winning skipper who found his ground in politics. The 1996 World Cup winning skipper of Sri Lanka, Arjuna Ranatunga contested his first Parliamentary elections with People's Alliance (PA) in 2001, just a year after his last game in Sri Lankan colours.

In 2004, he took charge as the Deputy Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Promotion. In 2010, he joined the Democratic Party and was made its deputy leader. He resigned from the party a couple of years later, and currently holds the Ministry of Petroleum Resources Development.

#3 Navjot Singh Sidhu

Sidhu is currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly

Having represented India over 180 times in international cricket, Sidhu grew a fan-following for himself with his comic television stints and hilarious commentary. In the general elections of 2009, Sidhu won the elections from Bharatiya Janata Party, defeating Om Prakash Soni of Indian National Congress.

He took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha on 28 April 2016 but resigned after nearly three months. He then found a political front called Aawaaz-e-Punjab. Last year, he joined the Indian National Congress and won the 2017 Punjab Assembly Elections from Amritsar East.

#2 Sanath Jayasuriya

Jayasuriya has held two deputy minister posts

Having scored over 20000 runs for his country, the Matara Hurricane joined politics in 2010, representing the United People's Freedom Alliance. Three years later, he was appointed as the deputy minister of postal services. In 2015, he took oath as new deputy minister. He was appointed as the deputy minister Local Government and Rural Development.

He was in office until the Parliament dissolved a few weeks later. Thereafter, he did not run for office and showed his allegiance with the United National Party. Later on, he came back to the cricketing hemisphere as the chairman of selectors of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

#1 Sachin Tendulkar

Tendulkar was the first active Indian cricketer to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha

Unlike the previous mentions, the 'God of cricket', Sachin Tendulkar was not a member of any political party in 2012. Rather, he was enjoying his last days in the 22 yards when he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India, following a recommendation from the Indian National Congress.

He accepted the nomination on April 2012, becoming the first active Indian cricketer to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha. He refused to take the bungalow offered to him in New Delhi. The master blaster's tenure in Rajya Sabha, which got over a few months ago, wasn't filled with roses. He had to deal with controversies over his sparse attendance and also not using the fund Rajya Sabha members receive for development.