sports desk8 hours ago
- copy link
Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has targeted those who are discussing the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Harbhajan says that the misfortune is that those people are deciding the future of these two players who have not achieved anything themselves.
Harbhajan is part of the expert commentary panel in the ongoing ILT20 Season 4 in UAE. He spoke to the media on Wednesday. Harbhajan complete press conference in question and answer…
Question: How did you feel seeing Indian players in ILT20 this year? Harbhajan: Adored. This time players like Dinesh Karthik and Piyush Chawla have come. Yusuf Pathan and Robin Uthappa have also played before this. Players who have recently retired are coming here to play. Every year this tournament brings new expectations.
Dinesh Karthik is a part of the Sharjah Warriors team in this season of ILT20.
Question: What is new in the tournament this time? Harbhajan: This year players from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are also playing. Cricket is spreading everywhere. The UAE board has done a very good job. Players from other countries are also getting a chance to play with big players and learn from them.
Question: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are continuously playing well. Do they look ready for the 2027 World Cup? Harbhajan: He has always been a great player. It never felt like he was out of form. He has scored runs consistently and has set the right example for the young players. They are still playing very strong.
Virat Kohli has scored centuries in both the first two matches of the 3-match ODI series being played between India and South Africa.
Question: How was your journey from Season 1 to Season 4? And which team seemed the strongest? Harbhajan: The journey has been wonderful. Looking at today’s batting, it seems that Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) have made a very strong team. He scored 233 runs, which is rarely seen in Sharjah. I think ADKR will be the hardest to beat this time.
Question: What do you think about the transition in Indian cricket? Harbhajan: This is beyond my understanding. I may not be able to answer this because I have been a player myself and what I have seen has happened to me too. This has happened with many of my colleagues, but it is very unfortunate. We don’t talk about it or discuss it. I feel very happy when I see a player like Virat Kohli still going strong. It is a bit unfortunate that their future is being decided by people who have not achieved anything special.
Question: Your opinion on Test cricket pitches in India? Harbhajan: Pitches have become very spin-friendly and difficult over the years. This makes batting difficult. We should play on good pitches for 5 days. Otherwise the fans also get disappointed and the matches end in 2-3 days.
Question: Do players lack patience? Harbhajan: Yes, patience has reduced because of T-20 cricket. If Test cricket is to be saved, good and balanced pitches will have to be made. Only then will the players think of playing for 5 days.
Question: As we are seeing now, Anil Kumble, you, then R Ashwin, always had a strike spinner with you. Right now Team India seems to have less good strike spinners and more support spinners. What do you think on this? Harbhajan: To make a spinner a strike bowler, he has to bowl long spells. 30–40 overs, so that he can take 5 wickets. If the pitch is very spin friendly, anyone can take 5 wickets in 5 overs. Joe Root also once took 5 wickets in just 5 overs on such a pitch. This clearly shows what the wicket was like. There is no insult to anyone in this, but this cannot happen on a good pitch. We have played cricket for 20 years, so we understand that good, balanced pitches should now be made in India. Real bowlers and real skills are visible only on good pitches. That’s all I want to say.
Question: What is the advantage of league in UAE? Harbhajan: Because of the league, local players get a chance to play with big players. From this they learn and their game improves. ILT20 has given a big platform to the players.
