“Ganguly handheld me when I was 'no one'. When Dhoni became captain, I was ‘someone’” - Harbhajan Singh
Retired off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has credited former captain Sourav Ganguly for shaping his cricketing career. Asked to compare the experience of playing under two of the most successful Indian skippers - Ganguly and MS Dhoni - Harbhajan pointed out that it was the former who turned him from nobody to somebody.
On Friday, 41-year-old Harbhajan announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, more than five years after he last played for India.
In an interview with the PTI, the former cricketer opened up on playing in the Ganguly and Dhoni era. Explaining the difference between the two phases of his career, Harbhajan said:
“It's a simple answer for me. Sourav Ganguly hand held me at that juncture of my career when I was a 'No One'. But when Dhoni became the captain, I was a "Someone". So you need to understand the big difference.”
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Hailing Sourav’s leadership skills, the Turbanator added:
“Dada knew I had skills but didn't know whether I will deliver. In case of Dhoni, he knew that I have been there and done that. He knew that I have won matches before him and will win a few for him also."
Harbhajan further said:
"In life and in profession, you need that one person, who will guide you at the proper moment and Sourav was that man for me. If Sourav wouldn't have fought for me and got me in the team, who knows, today you might not be taking this interview of mine. Sourav is the leader who made me what I am.”
Harbhajan, however, did add that he shared some good memories with Dhoni as well. He stated:
“But yes, Dhoni certainly was a very good captain and he carried the legacy of Sourav and with Dhoni, together we fought some great battles that I will certainly cherish.”
While Harbhajan rose to prominence under Ganguly’s leadership, he was part of the 2007 (T20) and 2011 World Cup-winning squads led by Dhoni.
“I was mentally sinking” - Harbhajan Singh on Monkeygate
One of the biggest controversies Harbhajan was embroiled in during his playing days was undoubtedly the Monkeygate scandal involving Andrew Symonds in 2008.
On whether he was angry over how the shocking incident unfolded in Australia, Harbhajan admitted:
“Obviously it was something that was uncalled for. Whatever happened during that day in Sydney shouldn't have happened and also what it led to. It was really unnecessary. But forget about who said what. You and I both know truth has two sides.”
He lamented that his side of the story has not been talked about much and said:
“No one cared about my side of the truth in the whole episode. No one cared what I went through in those few weeks and how I was mentally sinking. I have never extensively given my side of the story but people will know about it in my upcoming autobiography. What I went through shouldn't have happened to anyone.”
The Monkeygate scandal threatened to strain relations between India and Australia, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) even threatening to even pull out of the tour, which they eventually did not.
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Shifting focus to happier times, Harbhajan termed the 32 wickets he picked in the 2001 series against Australia as his watershed moment. Speaking about the phenomenal performance in India, he recalled:
“For every cricketer, you need that one performance after which people will sit up and take serious notice. 2001 versus Australia was my watershed moment. If 32 wickets and a hat-trick wouldn't have happened against a team of that might, who would have spoken about me? I could well have ended up being a footnote.”
Harbhajan ended up playing 103 Tests, 236 ODIs and 28 T20Is, claiming a total of 711 international wickets.