Agencies/New Delhi
The government has nominated batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar for membership of the Rajya Sabha. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s letter recommending the cricketer’s nomination to the upper house of parliament was endorsed by President Pratibha Patil, presidential palace spokesperson Archana Datta said. Tendulkar, who turned 39 this week, was in New Delhi to play an Indian Premier League match for the Mumbai Indians against the Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Friday. Earlier yesterday, Tendulkar and his wife had called on ruling Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi at her residence - a meeting described as a “courtesy visit” by the media. The vast majority of the 250 seats in the Rajya Sabha are filled by members elected by the legislatures in their home states. But 12 seats lie in the favour of the president and are normally awarded to people who have excelled in such fields as the arts, science and sport. Tendulkar made his international debut in 1989 and has played more Tests (188) and one-day internationals (463) than any other player. He is the highest run-getter in both forms of the game and last month became the first batsman to complete 100 international centuries - 51 in Tests and 49 in one-dayers. The Rajya Sabha nomination is likely to spark fresh speculation about his immediate future, although Tendulkar himself has dismissed talk of retirement anytime soon. Former cricketers welcomed the government’s nomination of Tendulkar, saying that it was a great honour and the iconic batsman deserved it for bringing laurels to the country. Former stumper Kiran More described the government’s move as good news for the sports fraternity. “It’s a great news. It’s good for the entire sport fraternity. It’s undoubtedly a great honour for Tendulkar and he deserves it. He is a great ambassador of the game,” More said. “I hope Sachin will do a great job. There have been a lot of issues in sport, with cricket being given the top priority. His valuable inputs would definitely help the Indian sport. He may not devote a lot of time to attend Rajya Sabha but he can convey his ideas. I’m looking forward to seeing him as a Rajya Sabha member,” he added. Another former wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani congratulated Tendulkar. “Many congratulations to him. But it’s up to him how he goes about it if he accepts it at all. It’s difficult to say whether this move will give us results. It’s like you cannot say a great cricketer to be a great coach. It’s entirely up to him to manage this. I wish him all the best,” Kirmani said. Former batsman and coach Anshuman Gaekwad said Tendulkar would remain a straightforward person and not change his attitude and approach to life even if he becomes a Rajya Sabha member. Welcoming Tendulkar for a seat in the Rajya, former Test cricketer and Lok Sabha MP Kirti Azad said: “People have been nominated in the fields of art, literature, science, etc. So Tendulkar is one of the greats of cricket. It’s very good if he comes to parliament.”