Harbhajan Singh, a former Indian off-spinner, said that the senior players in the team earned their places in the side through their performances, and that having a fellow senior pro like Yuvraj Singh as captain would not have extended their careers.
The management began looking for future options after the 2011 ODI World Cup, with MS Dhoni leading the way. Their goal was to build a strong team in preparation for the next big tournament.
Harbhajan Singh on Yuvraj Singh
Harbhajan Singh stated that captains must prioritize the needs of their teams. He went on to say that no captain was able to save players from the axe. For the majority of their careers, Yuvraj and Harbhajan were teammates for India. They also played together in the 2011 World Cup, which India won. Meanwhile, Harbhajan believes Yuvraj would have been an excellent captain.
Harbhajan Singh talked about his time as India’s captain and his early days as a cricketer. When it comes to leading the national team, he believes that friendships must be put aside and the country must come first.
He joked that if Yuvraj had been India’s captain, the team would have had to go to bed and wake up early. He thought the all-rounder would have made an excellent leader, emphasizing Yuvraj’s qualifications.
Yuvraj was named the ICC World Cup 2011 Man of the Tournament. He was among the tournament’s top ten wicket-takers and run-getters.
“I don’t think any of our careers would have been prolonged had Yuvraj been the captain. Because whatever we have played we have done it on our ability and no captain has saved us from getting the ax. Whenever you captain the country, you need to keep friendships aside and think of the country first,” Harbhajan Singh said.
“If Yuvraj Singh would have been Indian captain, we would have had to sleep early and wake up early (laughs). We would have to do a lot of hard work. He would have been a great captain. His records speak for themselves as he won the Player of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup, a title that gives us respect,” Harbhajan added.
Harbhajan Singh also stated that he started his career as a batter but could also bowl quickly. However, as his career progressed, he developed into a specialist spinner capable of pinch-hitting for India’s lower order.
“I started off as a batter but was also a fast bowler. Don’t know how I ended up as a spinner. But probably when I was asked what I do, I should have said that I bat. Because when you’re a batter and play for India, the whole world is at your feet. You will hardly find a bowler being a ‘superstar’ as this is the batter’s game. People want to see fours and sixes hit,” he said.
