Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh said that it was strange that despite being in their early 30s, players like him, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, and Gautam Gambhir, didn’t get to play another ICC World Cup, after contributing to the 2011 World Cup win.
Harbhajan Singh was the premier spinner for India in that tournament, while Sehwag scored 175 in the opening match against Bangladesh. Gautam Gambhir made 97 in the final, while Yuvraj Singh was named the Player of the Tournament of the 2011 World Cup.
"It would have been nice to play another world cup together with all my colleagues like Yuvraj and Virender Sehwag. When I took 400 Test wickets, I was only 31 and in 2011 also, I was 31. At 31, I was doing really well and I was fitter than many who actually was playing the game. After that, things did not go our way. I don't know what happened and who was behind it but whatever happened it's gone. There is no point talking about it. But yes would have been nice to play another world cup with Viru, Yuvi, and maybe Gautam Gambhir as well,” explained Harbhajan Singh while talking to ANI.
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“We guys were fit enough to be a part of the 2015 World Cup team which did not happen. That is something which was not in our hands and all I have to say is whatever opportunities we have got, whatever we have done for Indian cricket. I always want to be grateful for that and love all the opportunities we have got by the BCCI. I am going to be grateful for that and people have said a lot about that 2012, 2013, 2014 period why those guys did not play who won the world cup for India which I do not have the answer.
You guys don't have the answer. I don't know who can give the answer but you must ask the BCCI. At that time, the BCCI that why these guys did not play together after winning the 2011 World Cup. We were not in our late 30s, we were in our starting 30s. I was 31, Viru was like 31-32, Yuvi was 29-30 and we never got to play another world cup which is quite strange actually,” he added.
Harbhajan was no stranger to controversies right from the start of his international career, given the drama around his bowling action But two controversies have stood out for him, one being slapping Sreesanth after a match in the IPL 2008.
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And second was the Monkeygate incident when Australia’s Andrew Symonds accused Harbhajan of racially abusing him by calling him a monkey.
“I worked even harder in those difficult scenarios, difficult periods when we talk about those moments what you were talking about, that Andrew Symonds moment or that Sreesanth moment or whatever controversies that happened. I just focused on the game and made sure that my game should not suffer because of these other things happening around me. So, that was probably one thing that has kept me going and I am glad that I pulled it through," Harbhajan said to ANI.
Harbhajan Singh called time on his cricket career recently, having last played a match for India in 2016 and last appearing in the IPL 2021 for Kolkata Knight Riders.
