Mass-appeal- for cricketers translated into popularity- they have seen excess of it, as in our country cricketers are demi-Gods or perhaps demons at times- both the ethereal kind.

Ability to handle pressure-for the present crop-ability to handle the money takes precedence thanks to lalit and the IPL. The ability to handle pressure is all on the audience as to whether our demi-Gods will perform as expected. Will be be able to withstand Brian O’Neil and the Irishmen. Tremendous pressure on us not ‘them’, please.
and then
To Connect- Our cricketers would love to connect but through- Pepsi-helicopter shot, Adidas, Boost-secret of all our success. Don’t you see the connect?- it is a two-way business, and all to do with bank balance and savings; not just for the rainy day but to build the Noah’s Ark.

Till then we have to be satisfied with the Sidhus and Azhars and their oft inane submissions in Parliament.

Yes of course- Imran has been a particularly undistinguished politician. Sanath on the other hand has done nothing in particular which is true for any politician in Sri Lanka unless your last name is Rajapakse. Kirti Azad is one of the hereditary politicians, who, as you rightly point out, made it not because of his cricket.
I don’t necessarily think that all cricketers will make good politicians. From the point of view of national politics, I think most have what it takes. And there will be a few hits and a few misses, much like Ganguly and his batting. But from a cricketer’s point of view, I think it makes perfect sense, given that most of their lives end at 35 which is when a politician’s life begins.

Also, Kirti Azad’s presence in parliament has more to do with being a mini-dynast (his father was an MP and MLA) than his cricketing career.