Azhar says he has been dragged into controversy

New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) Former India skipper MohammedAzharuddin today lashed out at the media for dragging himinto an unnecessary controversy on the basis of some"insignificant" comments, but stood by his opinion that SachinTendulkar did not have it in him to succeed as a captain.

Azharuddin said it was not only him but "millions" ofpeople who do not consider Tendulkar a good captain.

"If I don''t consider Sachin as a good captain then thereare millions who too have their reservations on the issue.

Sachin himself hasn''t sought the captaincy since he left it adecade ago. Why when Azharuddin says it becomes such a bigissue. Is it because I keep to myself and don''t like shoutingfrom the rooftop?" asked Azharuddin.

"I see myself being dragged into a controversy. I cansee my plain and simple approach to life has again opened meup to motivated attacks. People are looking for hiddenmeanings where there is none.

" ... leave inane comments as it actually are -- justinane and certainly not worthy of a controversy," he said,while reacting to reports which suggested that he andTendulkar did not get along well during their playing days.

The controversial former captain also said that he hasnot kept track of his former team-mates, including Tendulkar,as he has other things to do in life and he did not want topretend that he was too much involved with the game.

"Consider the facts. If Sachin and I haven''t kept up toeach other it isn''t an earth-shattering news. After all, somany associations and relationships do drift apart after awhile. It happens within a family. It isn''t as if I alone amto be blamed for it," he reasoned.

"The same is true for other former colleagues. I havemoved on in life and have they done. We are busy with ourlives. Why do we have to keep up the pretence? Cricket was asplendid chapter of my life; indeed it made me what I amtoday. However cricket alone isn''t the only flavour of life.

Sometimes indeed we tend to take sports too seriously and lifetoo casually," he said. More PTI PDS MRM