The move by Bhujbal is said to browbeat renowned actor Amitabh Bachchan who is the brand ambassador of Gujarat. Others besides Bachchan who are tourism brand ambassadors include actor Aamir Khan for the Indian Tourism Board and cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni for Jharkhand state.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Bhujbal said that he sent the letter to Tendulkar as he wanted him to be the state’s tourism brand ambassador considering that Maharashtra would be celebrating 2011 as the "Year of Tourism."

The senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister underlined the need for publicity initiatives to attract more foreign tourists and revenues to the state.

“I have requested Nationalist Congress Party chief and federal Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to try to get acceptance from Tendulkar to be the state’s brand ambassador,” he said. “There are many important historical, religious and other tourist places. Like the state of Kerala, Maharashtra has a long 720 km of sea shore. There are some back-water places, and Maharashtra state’s name is now visible on the world medical tourism map. However, these tourist locations have been neglected due to lack of proper information.”

Tendulkar has not offered any comments so far on the offer, but sources said that the cricketer in all probability will accept the proposal. Tendulkar had earlier been the brand ambassador of Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and campaigned for their “Save Water” project.

In another development, a high alert has been sounded in Mumbai on the occasion of the second anniversary of the terror attacks on Friday.