"Why didn't we play a single match together after 2011 World Cup?" - Harbhajan Singh slams BCCI officials for treating him like "use and throw"

Harbhajan Singh has slammed a section of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for favoritism and treating him and other World Cup winners as "use and throw" after 2011.

The recently retired spinner questioned why the team that helped India win their second ODI World Cup in Mumbai didn't play together ever again. He accused a group of BCCI officials of favoring a certain "section of people" while ignoring others.

Harbhajan Singh asked why he, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, still young in 2011, were removed "one by one" before the 2015 World Cup, remarking how after 2012 the officials threw him out of the team entirely.

Addressing journalist Boria Majumdar on his show "Backstage with Boria", Harbhajan Singh remarked:

"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?"

He added:

"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."

Harbhajan Singh also specifically pointed to his unceremonious dropping. He explained that while "other players" with 400 wickets are called "legends", he was thrown out of the team without even an explanation from any selector, official, or even the captain.

He added:

"I was 31 in 2011 and had picked up 400 wickets. And a 31-year-old boy can't take 400 wickets overnight. He must have done something right. Yes, I have won a few games for India and I have done very bad in a few games too. That's the way the game goes. But if you call another player with 400 wickets a legend and here I am thrown out of the team without any explanation. No selector, no BCCI official is present to answer me, even the captain told me he didn't know what had happened. I still don't know what happened then. If you can treat such a big player like that then it shows that anything can happen with any player."

Harbhajan Singh played just 10 ODIs, 10 Tests, and six T20Is after the 2011 World Cup, ending his career as India's third-highest wicket-taker in Tests and fifth-highest in ODIs.

---

"She pushed me to play the last couple of IPLs" - Harbhajan Singh credits wife Geeta

Harbhajan Singh also credited his wife Geeta for pushing him to play for the last two to three seasons, saying all of his hard work was for her and their daughter.

He said:

"A lot of times it happened that I said to her, 'It's enough, I don't want to play anymore, I am done' but she said, 'No, keep trying, you still have it in you, just practice'. She pushed me to play the last couple of IPLs. All my achievements and wickets in the last 2-3 IPLs have come because Geeta pushed me to play saying 'I want to see you play'."

The former off-spinner concluded:

"My wife wanted me to plan and my daughter wanted me to be out there and see what her dad do. I worked hard for them. If not for them, I would have retired in 2016-17."

Harbhajan Singh announced his retirement on December 24 last year, saying he wants to focus on family and other important things in life.