Sachin Tendulkar as member of parliament. India was taken by storm with the announcement on Thursday evening. Several opinions have already been expressed on the subject, ranging from ?Sachin begins a political innings? to ?He is inexperienced for the role?. While each of these opinions has merit, they are slightly removed from the moot point. By getting nominated to the Rajya Sabha as a person of distinction doesn?t necessarily mean the start of a political innings. This is if we understand politics in a truly wide sense. If parliament is treated synonymous with politics and every parliamentarian, even if nominated by the president as a person of distinction, is treated as a politician, it is indeed the start of Sachin?s political innings. But if we understand it slightly differently, that a person of distinction is nominated to the upper house in recognition of his achievements to allow him an opportunity to make a difference to his field, we will see the nomination as a widening of Sachin?s sporting interests, an opportunity to contribute to Indian sport more widely.

Frankly, Sachin is no politician nor will he ever be. Perhaps he doesn?t even have the acumen to be one. However, when he speaks people listen. Such is the aura of the man. So when he speaks in parliament, it is only likely that the members will give him a patient hearing. This is surely an opportunity to highlight the needs of the Indian sporting fraternity in the long term. With Indian sports on the verge of a breakthrough, more than six medals at the 2012 London Olympics is a distinct possibility, the nomination of Sachin is also a sign that sports is finally being treated with the seriousness it deserves. That it is no longer ?mere leisure? for the people who govern the land, that it allows a man of distinction to be nominated to Parliament is indeed a welcome sign for the sporting fraternity of the country.

Two things make the nomination fascinating to me. The first is the timing. It comes at the back of Sachin scoring 100 international 100s, within a year of India winning the World Cup and with the London Olympics just three months away. It is indicative of the changing status of sports in the country. The second interesting thing is the selection of Sachin. Why Sachin? Surely he is the biggest sporting icon India has ever produced. As a brand he has little parallel. And finally he commands universal respect across the country and also across the sporting world. There will be little opposition to his selection.

Will Sachin give enough time to his new responsibility? How much time does he really need to give? Surely he will not do much in the first couple of years as long as he is playing the game. For him the priority should be the series against England in November and the one against Australia in February-March 2013. Indian Test cricket is in disarray and Sachin will want to get the team back on track before he finishes his innings. Only then should he think of parliament. But given that the position is for six years he will have a lot of time at hand to seriously make a difference.

India lacks a sports culture and Sachin?s nomination can be the first step towards addressing this problem. He can contribute towards the work of the sports ministry, highlight issues of concern for the sports fraternity, including the sports people themselves, and can inspire the government to adopt policies that can herald a sporting revolution in neglected areas like the North East.

The North East already produces some of India?s best sportsmen and women and with the choice for the youth in the area limited to a life of unemployment or sport, the choice is clear. If Sachin can bring the North-East into the radar of the national mainstream as a Rajya Sabha member he would have done much for Indian sport in the long term.

Finally, there has been some talk about Sachin being inexperienced. If he ever was to get nominated it is now. For this argument about inexperience would always hold for Sachin, who would never be a mainstream politician. To conclude, I welcome the nomination for I hope it will help bring about real change to the wider Indian sports fraternity in the long term.

The writer is a sport historian