Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara has cleared all speculations and rumours regarding his participation in the race of next year’s presidential elections by confirming that “don't have any ambitions for political office” on Monday (13 August).

His comment came after the Sri Lankan Media reported that Sangakkara was eyeing next year’s presidential elections and even went on to compare him to Pakistan’s cricketing great Imran Khan, who is set to take his oath as the next Pakistan PM on Saturday. 

However, Sangakkara, one of the greatest cricketers of all-time in the game of cricket, has made it clear that he never dreamt of being a politician and also will never join the politics.

As per reports in Press Trust of India, Sangakkara said in a statement, “I would like to put to rest speculation and rumour once and for all, confirming that I do not harbour any ambitions for political office. I never have, and, with enormous certainty, I can say I never will.”

Noteworthy, there are several cricketers in Sri Lanka who have successfully switched to politics like World Cup winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga is a minister in the current government, while former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya served as a deputy minister after their retirement from the game.

Meanwhile, Sangakkara quit Test cricket in August 2015 after aggregating 12,400 runs from 134 matches with 11 double centuries while playing his last international match against India.