Riyadh, May 07: Indian cricketer-turned-politician Mohammad Azharuddin hit another masterstroke, this time with his maiden visit to Riyadh, where at least seven receptions were hosted in his honor recently.
Azharuddin, in an interview Thursday evening with Arab News, said he seeks to boost further links between the Kingdom and India and that his visit was an opportunity for him to socialize with members of Riyadh’s Indian community.
“Bilateral relations between Riyadh and New Delhi have been cordial, founded on close cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels,” he said.
In the interview held on the sidelines of a reception hosted by Nadeem Tarin, chairman of DPS and Dunes Schools, Azharuddin said the regional significance of the Kingdom make it an important ally to India and that the country is held in high esteem because it is home to Makkah and Madinah.
“The Kingdom is a driving force in promoting relations between India and the GCC states in particular and the Islamic world at large,” he said, adding that the quality of bilateral relations had been underlined and enhanced by high-level visits in the recent past.
“The Indian expatriate community, whose number exceeds the two-million mark in the Kingdom, contributes to strengthening bilateral ties in all sectors,” he added.
Azharuddin, who has scored 22 centuries in Test Cricket with an average score of 45 runs and seven centuries in One Day International cricket with an average of 37 runs, was the chief guest at a function Thursday night that was organized by the Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni Association which invited him to Riyadh.
The celebration, attended by about 700 guests, was organized to mark the 90th Foundation Day of India’s Jamia Millia Islamia University. This congress parliamentarian was also the chief guest at an investiture ceremony of the DPS School here Friday. He also attended a luncheon reception hosted by Red Chilli restaurant. The events were attended by a large number of top Indian diplomats, businessmen and executives including Manohar Ram, deputy mission chief at Indian Embassy. Other prominent hosts included Murshid Kamal, Jamia’s president; Mairaj Mohd Khan, DPS principal; and Aftab Nizami, member of Jamia Advisory Council.
Azharuddin, who was an accomplished batsman and captained the Indian cricket team for much of the 1990s, won the election from the Moradabad constituency of Uttar Pradesh to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India.
Asked about prospects of cricket in the region, where millions of cricket lovers miss international matches, he called on the Gulf governments and especially the Saudi sports authorities to take some initiatives to promote the game.
“We can even bring the Indian team here to play friendly matches,” said Azharuddin.
–Agencies