‘Why different rules for different players’: Harbhajan questions selectors over treatment of Mumbai star

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Veteran India cricketer Harbhajan Singh slammed national selectors for their treatment of 29-year-old Mumbai batsman Suryakumar Yadav. The right-hander was recently named in India A squad for their upcoming tour of New Zealand, however, he couldn’t find a spot in the team for T20I series against Sri Lanka or ODI series against Australia.

Despite his good track record in domestic cricket, Yadav is yet to play for the national team. In 73 first class games, Yadav has scored 4920 runs inclusive of 13 centuries and 24 half-centuries. While in List A cricket, he has scored 2311 runs in 77 innings including 14 fifties and two centuries. In IPL, he has smashed 1548 runs in 85 matches including seven fifties.

Yadav’s continued absence from the national team irked Harbhajan and his social media post read: “I keep wondering what’s wrong @surya_14kumar hv done ? Apart from scoring runs like others who keep getting picked for Team india india/A india /B why different rules for different players ???.” 

Harbhajan Turbanator

I keep wondering what’s wrong @surya_14kumar hv done ? Apart from scoring runs like others who keep getting picked for Team india india/A india /B why different rules for different players ???

Yadav, who has been prolific in the shorter formats this year, admitted that the thought of a national senior team call-up kept on coming up and it sometimes becomes difficult to stay grounded.

“Yes, my ultimate goal is to play for India. However at the same time, you’ve got to stay in the present. You’ve got to follow your process, you just can’t think of going there. If you do the small things right, which I’ve been doing lately, that (national team selection) will automatically come,” Yadav told reporters.

Asked how difficult it’s to stay in the present, he said, “It’s a little difficult, because at the back of my mind, I keep thinking that I’ve got to play for India. However, at the end, I have to stay in the present. If it (the national call) has to come, it will come automatically.”

“The New Zealand series is in my mind but keeping that aside, currently my full focus is on this (vs Railways in Ranji Trophy) game, which is more important,” he added.