‘Why were treated like use and throw?’ – Harbhajan Singh lambastes BCCI selectors for ignoring senior players after 2011 World Cup
Harbhajan Singh has lambasted the BCCI administration and selectors for not treating many of the senior cricketers who were a part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning squad in the right manner. He believes the players were not given opportunities after the World Cup to contribute further to the national team.
The former off-spinner believes has the Indian selectors treated the likes of him, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir unfairly, and that they could have easily played the 2015 ODI World Cup held in Australia.
“You also know what those officials were doing, what was happening in Indian cricket at that time and which section of people were playing, and how others were being ignored. If we were good enough to win the World Cup in 2011, why didn’t we play even a single match together after that? Was that team good enough just to win the World Cup and became worse after that?” Harbhajan said to Boria Majumdar on his show “Backstage with Boria”.
It is to be noted that all the senior players played a crucial role in India’s journey to the title in 2011 World Cup. However, none of them was a part of the ODI World Cup in 2015 in Australia, including the Player of the 2011 tournament Yuvraj Singh.
Claiming that they were treated as ‘Use and Throw’, Harbhajan asked, “Were 31-year-old Harbhajan Singh, 30-year-old Yuvraj Singh, 32-year-old Virender Sehwag, 29-year-old Gautam Gambhir who played in 2011, not good enough to play in the World Cup team of 2015?
“Why were they removed from the team one by one? Why were they treated like ‘Use and Throw’? It’s a sad story of Indian cricket. I don’t know what’s happening now but till 2011 a lot of people helped me, a lot of them pulled my leg. But after 2012 they pulled my leg to throw me out completely.”
India had won the final of the 2011 World Cup at home by defeating Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Been set a target of 275 by the Sri Lankans, India rode on a gritty inning of 97 from Gautam Gambhir MS Dhoni’s unbeaten 91 to successfully chase down the total and end a 28-year-long wait to clinch a 50-over World Cup title.