Harbhajan sends Chappell a doosra

Harbhajan is among Ganguly’s most loyal players, his entry into the team and subsequent rise coinciding with the captain’s heydays. His statements, made to PTI, could be part of a growing campaign among the players to boost support for the beleaguered captain.
It could also be seen as a bid by players to undermine a coach who has taken a tough line on discipline, fitness and professionalism.

However, any further public outburst is likely to meet with strong disapproval from the BCCI. The Board has not so far issued any public rebuke to either captain or coach but BCCI secretary SK Nair said players had been asked to restrain themselves from making any statement to the media or in general.

‘‘The players are under contractual obligation to restrain from commenting about the team and their internal discussions’’, Nair told The Indian Express today, ‘‘and any cricketer failing to do so would be penalised accordingly.’’

And the Punjab Cricket Association, with whom Harbhajan is registered, asked the bowler to meet its secretary MP Pandove ‘‘at the earliest’’ for ‘‘discussions and appropriate remedial measures’’.

The BCCI’s review panel will look at the Zimbabwe tour on Tuesday. But Board president Ranbir Singh Mahendra — a member of the panel — said he wasn’t sure whether players’ views and suggestions will be considered at the meeting. It was for the committee to decide whether to ask players for their opinion on the issue or not.

In the interview, Harbhajan refrains from direct criticism of Chappell except in one instance.

He said he’d heard from his friends that Chappell had accused him of underperforming deliberately under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy during the Sri Lanka tour.

‘‘Chappell’s remarks were an attempt to create a rift between me and Dravid for whom I have great regard. His (Chappell’s) remarks have given me mental tension.

‘‘It affected my performance on the Zimbabwe tour as well. I could not concentrate on my game due to immense pressure that if I commit any mistake, the coach will definitely make it an issue against me.’’

In another instance, he says he has ‘‘a lot to reveal about the Zimbabwe tour but I will do so only at the appropriate time and at an appropriate level.’’

• Asked about Chappell’s charge that Ganguly was not physically or mentally fit to be in the team, Harbhajan said: ‘‘It may be the coach’s own observation but as far as I am concerned, Ganguly has been proved as an excellent captain, which is evident from his match-winning record.’’

• On the allegation that Ganguly was interested only in captaincy and creating differences among team members, he said: ‘‘I have played for almost five years under (his) captaincy and never felt like that. In fact, he takes personal interest to boost each and every player during practice as well as during a match.

‘‘Ganguly has rebuilt this team and whatever the team has achieved so far, credit goes to the captain.’’

• He said there was ‘‘fear and insecurity’’ among the players as they were apprehensive about airing their personal views or suggestions even in the dressing room. ‘‘(The coach’s conduct) can create fear among players over asking any suggestion on his weakness from the coach, who may take it as a complaint against him to the board.’’

• He said Chappell’s apparent patch-up with Ganguly on the one hand and his e-mail — written at roughly the same time — reeked of ‘‘double standards’’. He said ‘‘no player was aware of Chappell complaining against Sourav’’, and they heard about it after landing in India.

• On suggestions in a section of the press that he had some differences with Anil Kumble, Harbhajan said: ‘‘Kumble is a very good friend of mine…There were attempts to create differences between us but we are both mature enough to understand all this.’’

• Asked to compare former coach John Wright and Chappell, he said in a lighter vein, ‘‘anybody can judge it from the on-going controversies.’’