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‘One thing at a time, it is cricket time now’ says Navjot Singh Sidhu in New York
In a quick chat with New India Abroad, the cricketer-turned-politician shares his immediate life plans.
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Harbhajan Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu at Nassau Cricket Stadium in New York. / Prabhjot Singh
The electioneering fever has just started dissipating. After taking a sabbatical from active politics for the duration of the 2024 general elections, former Test cricketer-turned-politician-cum-sports commentator may need a call before he returns to politics.
"I am a man of one thing at a time. When I go for cricket, it is cricket alone. And when I am in politics, I talk and work on politics alone," Navjot Singh Sidhu told this writer on the sidelines of the T20 World Cup at Nassau International Cricket Stadium.
Accompanied by two other former Indian Test cricketers, Harbhajan Singh and L Balaji, Sidhu is in New York for the T20 World Cup.
"It is a land of opportunities. If Test playing New Zealand has a population of 5 million, one region in New York has the same number of people. The USA has enormous marketing potential. Cricket has been chartering to new territories. It keeps grabbing opportunities to spread its wings," says Navjot Sidhu.
Asked about the recent political developments in the country back home, he says, "I work on one thing at a time. It is now time for cricket."
When this writer persisted about Sidhu’s immediate next plans, he came out saying: "I was doing political rallies and all political work required him. They did not want me to continue. So I moved to cricket. When I get a call to be back in politics, I will decide," he adds saying that the results of the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections were indicative of the general mood of the people.
"AAP was a disappointment. People had high expectations from it. But it failed to deliver. It is why it could end up a poor second behind Congress in the general elections winning only three of 13 seats. It has failed the people of Punjab," he concluded.
Harbhajan Singh, who is a sitting Rajya Sabha member, however, refused to talk about politics back at home.
"Oh really, AAP won three seats," he quipped saying he was here for cricket.
While talking about the T20 World Cup, he said that bowling was an important wing of the game as was batting. It is not that bowlers are reduced to a machine to keep throwing balls for the batters to slog. After all, bowlers, too, need respect and command. It is good that bowlers are dominating even if the pitches are being criticized for their uneven bounce.
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