Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh feels that hypocrisy exists in the minds of the selectors.
In a recent interview with the NDTV, Bhajji seemed unimpressed with the current section policies and slammed the Indian selectors for ignorance and denying him a chance to prove his worth again at the international level.
The interesting fact is that the jibe which was taken on the Indian selection panel also saw MS Dhoni indirectly get dragged into it. Citing the example of the former skipper, Bhajji stated that while Dhoni gets retained in the squad based on merits of past performances despite losing the abilities he had during his prime, an experienced player like him gets ignored.
“Yes, there is no doubt that Dhoni brings a lot to the table apart from his batting, whether he is in form or not. Obviously, we have seen that he is not hitting the ball as well as we have seen,” Harbhajan Singh said.
The off-spinner did not show any sign of personal hatred towards MS Dhoni, however. He acknowledged the importance of having a player like him for an important tournament like Champions Trophy where India will be entering as the defending champions.
But, at the same time, he also tried to blow his own trumpet and put forward the reasons why he is also equally eligible for a place in the team.
“But he has been captain and he understands the game and having him in the middle will help a lot of youngsters and people out there who are not feeling great in particular moments. So he has that edge.”
“But when it comes to me. I do feel that we are not given that sort of privilege. We too have played for 19 years and won and lost India matches. I have won two World Cups too. So this privilege is for some players, and for some, it is not and I’m one of those for whom this privilege is not there. I don’t know why that is the case.”
These statements seem immature from a cricketer who almost can be ranked as one of the greatest bowlers India has ever seen. His consistent shows for Mumbai Indians during the IPL remains a fact which serves as a support for his argument.
But, he should understand that the current Indian holds no place for him, especially when the selectors have Ravichandran Ashwin at the top of the game.