Harbhajan Singh picks his all-time XI, no Indian bowler included

Harbhajan Singh picked his all-time XI a couple of years ago. The video has once again resurfaced online. The veteran off-spinner picked up four Indian players but surprisingly not a single Indian bowler. Harbhajan was one of the best Indian spinners for a long time he played in 103 tests, 236 ODIs and 28 T20Is. He was the most successful Indian off-spinner in Tests until Ravichandran Ashwin surpassed him in 2021. Harbhajan was one of the very few players who played in both the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup winning squads.

Harbhajan’s All-Time XI:

Sachin Tendulkar

It is a very rare occurrence that an all-time XI is made without the great Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar was probably the greatest cricket icon the sport has ever known. He was the most complete batter of his day and the most prolific run-maker of all time. Tendulkar didn’t appear to have any vulnerabilities in his play. He was able to make runs in all regions of the world under all circumstances. He was able to score from both feet and all over the wicket. Commonly known as Master Blaster, Tendulkar was part of the World Cup-winning squad in 2011. He played in 463 ODI matches and scored 18,426 runs which included 49 centuries. He also became the first man to score a double century in ODI.

Rohit Sharma

A position as an opener in any all-time XI is always highly competitive. Harbhajan has picked his captain at Mumbai Indians, Rohit Sharma as the opener. When Rohit emerged from Mumbai as the obvious successor to the Indian batting greats of the 2000s, he owned every shot in the book. He had to work for it, but by the 2010s he had risen to the top of the white-ball cricket world. Rohit made five hundred at the 2019 ODI World Cup and regularly scored double hundreds in ODIs. He has won six IPL championships in the first 15 seasons of the competition. The MI skipper has scored the most amount of double-hundreds. Rohit also holds the record for the highest score in ODI history. The current Indian skipper has played 243 ODI matches and scored 9825 runs at a strike rate of 90.02 and with an average of 48.63.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is undoubtedly the most ambitious cricketer that India has ever produced. In order to achieve his goals, Kohli used the technical proficiency of Sachin Tendulkar and physical conditioning comparable to that of the best athletes in the world, not only cricket players. Kohli has already etched his name in history as one of the greatest run-machines in One-Day cricket. In 274 matches he has played so far he has scored 12898 runs. He has an outstanding average of 57.32 and a strike rate of 93.62. 

Ricky Ponting

The most relentless player of his generation, Ricky Ponting, developed into Australia’s most effective run-scorer and ranks second only to Bradman among all-time great batters in the nation. Additionally, he achieved the record as captain of 26 straight wins in 50-over World Cup matches in 2011, stepping down from the position when it did. In his 17-year-long career, he played in 375 matches and scored 13,704 at an average of 42.03.

Jacques Kallis

Just like an all-time XI is incomplete without Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis is the number 1 pick when it comes to all-rounders. No batsman values his wicket more than another, and no wicket in cricket is valued higher than another. Despite the fact that his effectiveness as a bowler diminished with each passing season, he will be remembered for his occasionally unexpected pace, swing, and uncomfortable bounce. His sure-handedness and quick reflexes make difficult catches appear normal in the slips. In 328 matches, he scored 11,579 runs at an average of 44.36 including 17 centuries. He took 273 wickets at a bowling average of 31.79 and conceded runs at an economy of 4.84 RPO. He capped off his all-round skills with his fielding as he took 131 catches in the format.

Andrew Flintoff

Harbhajan’s all-time XI will have another great all-rounder at number 6. Andrew Flintoff is one of the very few cricketers whose stats don’t tell the whole story. Fans who had not seen Flintoff play will always question his greatness. In 141 ODI matches, he scored 3394 runs at an average of 32.01. He took 169 wickets in those matches at a bowling average of 24.38 and conceded runs at an economy of 4.39 RPO. While Kallis is more of a batting all-rounder, Freddie is a bowling all-rounder in Bhajji’s all-time XI.

MS Dhoni

Who other than Mahendra Singh Dhoni could be the wicket-keeper of an all-time XI? Harbhajan won both the 2007 and 2011 World Cups under MS Dhoni’s captaincy which meant that alongside keeping the wickets ‘Captain Cool’ will also captain his side. Dhoni’s keeping records make any opposing batter think twice before stepping out of his crease. When he was ahead of the stumps he was a force to be reckoned with. In 350 matches for India, he scored 10.773 runs at an average of 50.57. His strike rate of 87.56 meant that he was one the greatest finishers the game had ever seen.

Shane Warne

Shane Warne is probably the greatest spinner in the history of cricket. The leg-spin wizard from Australia was part of one of the greatest teams. His bowling restricted players to play any shots whatsoever. He bowled at a miserly economy of 4.25 and took 293 wickets. His test cricket records always overshadowed his greatness One-Day cricket.

Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram was yet another Pakistani bowler who troubled opponents all the time. With complete mastery over swing, seam and accuracy, Wasim had it all. Many people consider Akram to be the greatest left-arm fast bowler of all time. He was Imran Khan’s natural successor as Pakistan’s captain and leader, but the 1990s match-fixing scandals were detrimental to his cause. In 356 matches, he took 502 wickets at an average of 23.52 conceding at an economy of just 3.89.

Lasith Malinga

The yorker king, Lasith Maling will be Wasim’s partner in the fast bowling department. His yorkers were one of the most feared by batters. There was very little he could not do with a ball in hand. The body of Malinga’s threat was made up of a yorker, a deceptive slower ball, and a terrific bouncer and an unusual action made it difficult to predict his deliveries. All of that talent was also fueled by street smarts, Malinga was never afraid to alter plans or rearrange his field. Malinga maintained his ability to surprise batsmen even when they believed they knew what was coming. He had the ability to change the course of the match in a matter of few balls as he demonstrated when he picked up 4 wickets in 4 balls not once but twice in both white-ball formats. He took 338 wickets in 226 matches at an average of 28.87 with an economy of just 5.35 RPO.

Muttiah Muralitharan

Muttiah Muralitharan was one of those cricketers who polarised opinions of many fans, experts and even some umpires. He is regarded by believers as one of the best ball spinners of all time. The sceptics view him as a charlatan undeserving of the biggest records in the sport and the cause of legal developments that they believe have legalised throwing. Murali was the go-to man for many Sri Lankan captains, regardless of whether Sri Lanka played at home, on surfaces where he was frequently unplayable, or abroad. In 350 matches for Sri Lanka, he took 534 wickets at an average of 23.08 conceding runs at an economy of just 3.93.

Also Read: World Cup 2023: How does the schedule benefit India?

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