Cricketer Mohammed Kaif who is currently batting on the political pitch believes that there is a lot of similarity between cricket and politics and like a true sportsman he was not thinking in terms of winning or losing.
Talking to “The Pioneer” on Wednesday from Allahabad while snatching some time between his hectic campaigning, Mohammed Kaif a candidate from the Phulpur constituency of Alllahabad said that lok Sabha Elections were more like Test Series Matches rather than T 20 MATCHES. Kaif said that he joined politics because he was not into active cricket and felt that this was the right time for the changeover.
“ I felt that this was the right time to join politics because I was not into active cricket and I wanted to do something. Allahabad was the place where I had played cricket and had made friends and so this was the place where I wanted to fight elections. I met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and had a chat with him and decided that it was the time to join politics and do something for the society” said Kaif.
On being asked if he would have joined any other political party had he got an offer from them, Kaif said that he would have only fought for the Congress party, “ Our family has always been a supporter of the Congress Party and I would have not joined any other political party. The Congress party is the oldest party and has been associated with the freedom struggle of the country. It is also a secular party” said Kaif.
Regarding his prospects of winning or losing the elections with an anti Congress and a pro Modi wave prevailing, the cricketer said that it was not about winning or losing that he was concerned about . “I am not thinking about winning or losing. The people have the freedom to take their decisions. I have joined the party and it is a connect of the heart and the mind. I am just trying to connect with people” he added.
The cricketer admits that there is a lot which is comman between politics and cricket. “There is a lot of similarity between politics and cricket and more than the idea of winning or losing it is all about good team work. In cricket matches you need a good team work simmilary when you are fighting an election you have to build a good team which consists of honest people” he said.
He admitted that lok Sabha Elections were more like Test Series than the T 20’s.“The Elections are very much like the Test Series matches and there is no short cut. Test Series judge all your skills such your mental and physical strength, your ability to connect with people, your stamina and a whole lot of other things. It is a very large area where you have to meet and connect with the people. In the T 20’s matches there is a lot of other factors which play their role” he said.
The cricketer said that if he wins he would like to deliver what people expect of him. “If elected I would like to deliver what people expect from me. For women I would be keen on the safety and security issue. For the country to move forward it was very important to have the contribution of women and hence a safe and secure environment was what was required” he said. Kaif said that he has already completed one round of his the villages in his constituency and he is planning to take another round of his constituency.