Former Indian cricket team spinner Harbhajan Singh has witnessed a transition in Indian cricket between 2011-2013 when stalwarts like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman retired with Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, current coach Gautam Gambhir and him being phased out. “Look age is a factor for some in this team but then Virat and Jaddu are extremely fit guys. Yes, age, fitness and form are criteria but the questions crop up once you start losing. The onus obviously comes on seniors in the team. It happened in that phase,” he recalled. But he absolutely detests the theory that certain players can’t be replaced.
“Kaun kehta hai bharpai naahi hoti. Bharpai bilkul hoti hai. Gavaskar saab gaye, Tendulkar saab aaye, Tendulkar saab gaye, humein Kohli mila aur bhavishya mein bhi aisa hoga. (Who says you can’t get replacements? You got replacements in past and you will get in future). The game will move on and we will get replacements.” Are there enough talents in domestic cricket? “Of course there’s talent in domestic cricket. How did you get Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and now Sarfaraz Khan. It is from domestic cricket only. It is about getting right opportunities at right time.”
“If you get chance at right time, you can become Virat Kohli or else you could be Amol Mujumdar or Amarjeet Kaypee,” said the man with 700 international wickets.
“It took Virat 15 years to become what he has become. So you need to look at the talent and may be have an idea that, yes, this boy, if persisted with, can become a match-winner for a decade.
“When we were playing, we heard that Rohit is an enormous talent. How did people know? Because of domestic cricket, and even after first few years of inconsistency, the system backed him. So we will get replacements.” But does he see transition happening? “Not immediately, as you have a big Australia series and WTC final at stake. But yes, this Australia series will be a make or break for many in the team,” he concluded.
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