Dear Harbhajan Singh, your take on MS Dhoni's 'privilege' makes absolutely zero sense

In sports, the timing of your exit from the game is often as important as the statistics you rake up throughout your career. Your glory on the field might never be forgotten, but the manner in which you say goodbye is remembered too.

The likes of Rahul Dravid are held in high regard for their prompt and graceful retirements, while everyone knows how the legendary Kapil Dev limped his way to breaking Richard Hadlee’s record of 431 Test wickets. Even Sachin Tendulkar, for that matter, tainted his reputation a tad bit in his never-ending quest for a 100th international ton.

This is something, perhaps, Harbhajan Singh should reflect upon.

The country's most successful off-spinner in history made news recently for stating that he doesn't enjoy the same “privilege” that former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni does. In an interview with NDTV, Harbhajan expressed displeasure at being ignored by the selectors for the upcoming Champions Trophy in England.

Not only are the senior pro's arguments disappointing, they don't make much sense either.

While Bhajji did accept that Dhoni has a lot to offer to the youngsters in the team with his near decade-long experience as a leader, he didn't shy away from taking a subtle dig at the keeper-batsman's poor form with the bat off-late.

“Yes there is no doubt that Dhoni brings a lot to the table apart from his batting, whether he is in form or not. Obviously we have seen that he is not hitting the ball as well as we have seen. But he has been captain and he understands the game and having him in the middle will help lot of youngsters and people out there who are not feeling great in particular moments. So he has that edge,” said Harbhajan.

Fine. You believe that Dhoni isn't the same with the bat in his hand anymore, but his presence in the team will be beneficial for the new crop. A view shared by many. But here is when the Turbanator bowls a doosra. 

"But when it comes to me. I do feel that we are not given that sort of privilege. We too have played for 19 years and won and lost India matches. I have won two World Cups too. So this privilege is for some players, and for some it is not and I'm one of those for whom this privilege is not there. I don't know why that is the case.

“That question of 'why', needs to be asked to the selectors. I don't want to sing my own praises but the amount of cricket others have played even I understand the game as much and what they bring to the table we also bring to the table. We too wish to play for the country as much," he said.

You too wish to play for the country as much? So does that mean a player should be retained in the national team well past their sell-by date, simply because they “too wish to play for the country as much”?

What Harbhajan fails to understand, or conveniently chooses to ignore, is that Dhoni isn't just preferred by the selectors for his wealth of experience. There are several attributes to the 35-year-old that come into play.

He is probably the fittest he has ever been, and his glove-work behind the stumps is still world-class. Most importantly, in a relatively young squad, he will be the much-needed sounding board for skipper Virat Kohli. Proof of Dhoni's impact in that aspect was there for all to see in IPL 10, where his partnership with Steve Smith helped Rising Pune Supergiant finish runners-up. Of course, the one area of concern has been Dhoni's batting. Although he had a quiet IPL 2017, he did smash a vintage century in Indian's last ODI series against England at the beginning of this year.

Considering all these factors, chairman of selectors MSK Prasad and his team should be lauded for recognising the importance of retaining Dhoni. Moreover, let's face it, India's most successful captain in history has done enough in his glittering career to not deserve the axe at this moment. And to be honest, bhajji pitting himself against Dhoni is plain silly.

Now, let's view Harbhajan's place in the national team set-up. The 36-year-old himself isn't the force he once was. Among other things, he juggles his time between family, reality shows like Roadies, and playing domestic cricket for Punjab – where he hasn't really set the world on fire either.

In the just-concluded IPL, Bhajji's rather dismal fielding came to the fore too. Asked whether that was a factor that could have gone against him, the offie had this to say: “See, if someone comes and tells me that this is one thing that is lacking in you, that's the reason you're not there in the squad, but nobody has told me. There is no communication. If someone tells me this is how fit we need you to be, at the end I want to play for India so I will work on it. I don't know my weakness because nobody has spoken to me. None of the selectors, no one actually.”

This, from someone who has played 103 Tests and 236 ODIs for the country. It's perplexing to hear someone of Harbhajan's stature saying that he doesn't know what his weaknesses are. Should the selectors be going around telling players that they haven't made it because they don't match the desired fitness standards? Is that something you need to hear someone from else? Is that, above all, a healthy process?

This outburst by Harbhajan coincided with Team India's departure for the 'Mini World Cup'. With the competition fiercer than ever, the defending champions could have done without all this negativity. Instead of whining, Harbhajan should focus on upping his game. Bowing out with dignity is never a bad option either.