New Delhi: Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh on Friday pulled down curtains on his 23-year long illustrious career. Singh recently broke the silence after he announce his retirement, the veteran off-spinner took an indirect dig at MS Dhoni for not giving him the kind of backing he deserved after the World Cup win in 2011.
“As long as there is support, it feels great. However, I would say that if the support had come at the right time, I would have taken 500-550 wickets long ago because when I was 31 years old, I had taken 400 wickets, and if I had played for three-four more years, I would have taken 500-550 wickets. But, that did not happen. There are so many reasons for that, if we go into that, we will dig up a lot of things, which I don’t want to do,” Singh was quoted as saying to PTI.
The legendary spinner has also lauded Sourav Ganguly for guiding him at a time when he was yet to make a name for himself at the highest level. Harbhajan, who made his international debut as a teenager back in 1998, but it was only after India’s three-match Test series against Australia in 2001 that he became a household name.
“It’s a simple answer for me. Sourav Ganguly handheld me at that juncture of my career when I was a ‘No One’. But when Dhoni became the captain, I was a “Someone”. So you need to understand the big difference. Dada knew I had skills but didn’t know whether I will deliver. In the case of Dhoni, he knew that I have been there and done that. He knew that I have won matches before him and will win a few for him also,” Harbhajan added.
“In life and in profession, you need that one person, who will guide you at the proper moment and Sourav was that man for me. If Sourav wouldn’t have fought for me and got me in the team, who knows, today you might not be taking this interview of mine. Sourav is the leader who made me what I am. But yes, Dhoni certainly was a very good captain and he carried the legacy of Sourav and with him, together we fought some great battles that I will certainly cherish,” he further added.
During his 23-year stint, the off-spinner won two World Cups the inaugural ICC World T20 in 2007 and then the ODI World Cup in 2011. He took 417 wickets in 103 Tests, 269 wickets in 236 ODIs and, 25 scalps in 28 T20Is. Recalling his unceremonious exit from the side, Harbhajan said it left him with many unanswered questions.
“When someone takes over 400 wickets and then he doesn’t get a chance or he’s not been told the reason for the drop, many questions are raised in mind. I asked many people regarding my dropout from the team, but I didn’t get any reply.”
“It always feels nice to have that support. I’ll say that if I got the support at the right time, I would’ve retired much earlier after 500-550 wickets because I was 31 when I reached the 400-wicket mark. If I played 3-4 years more, I would’ve reached 500 wickets but that didn’t happen,” Singh concluded.
Harbhajan’s last game in India jersey was a T20I in 2016 but he continued to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), representing Kolkata Knight Riders in the latest edition of the tournament. The 41-year-old Punjab cricketer finished his career as India’s fourth-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, after Anil Kumble, Kapil Dev, and R Ashwin.
