Indian cricket board has mistreated Harbhajan: Saqlain Mustaq
Pakistani legend Saqlain Mustaq has criticized the Indian team management for mistreating Harbhajan Singh. The 39-year-old feels that the Turbanator deserved more respect for the things he has achieved in his career. Saqlain has also defended Ravichandran Ashwin's below per record overseas.
“I am afraid that Indian cricket board and team management’s treatment to Harbhajan has not been great. He was a world class bowler and is still a world class bowler. The emergence of Ashwin doesn’t mean that you drop Harbhajan or put him under tremendous pressure,” Saqlain told PTI.
The off-spinner felt that the selectors did not show enough faith in Bhajji, which has "put self-doubts in him".
“Look from the time he got dropped (in 2011), he has made three comebacks which meant that when you needed him, you picked him and when the need was over, you dumped him. So the pressure that you have created on him, you have already negated his past achievements.
“But what logically should have been done is that when his graph was going down, one should have given him a short break and brought him back. He should have been the first choice spinner supported by Ashwin. Instead, you put self-doubts in him and now made him the third or fourth choice spinner in the side,” Saqlain explained.
Harbhajan, who has played just two T20I, seven ODI and four Test matches since 2013, has been included in the Asia Cup and the upcoming World T20 squad. However, the 35-year-old is unlikely to feature in any of the matches, considering Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja's form, and that MS Dhoni might prefer Pawan Negi if he chooses to play with three spinners in the World Cup.
Saqlain insisted that the team management has the responsibility to provide players, who are making a comeback, with confidence. He said, “In my 10 years of Pakistan, I have seen legends being dropped due to form or injury and after they came back, in first 2 or 3 matches, their confidence looked to have been shaken. But after five or six matches, their rhythm came back.
“Let me be very clear, even if Bhajji has 100 percent potential, he will not be able to perform because you people have made him feel like a No 4. At the end, players are only human with the same kind of feelings and emotions. A good performance is emotion driven. If you are in a good space mentally, your graph will go up and vice versa,” Saqlain said.
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Saqlain also heaped a lot of praise on Ashwin and pointed out that he is leading the pack when it comes to off-spinners in world cricket at the moment.
“Nathan Lyon and Moeen Ali still need to prove themselves but Ashwin is a world class bowler and is bowling superbly at the moment. He has
Ashwin's performances overseas had come under a lot of
“In Australia, you will play with three pacers and a specialist spinner, in India, it will be opposite. The surface, the condition, the ball (SG in India, dukes in England and kookaburra in Australia) — everything changes. So if Ashwin gets
“Spinner is your fourth option and accordingly will
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