Harbhajan Singh backs Anil Kumble, says he is a person of respect

India may have won both their warm-up games in the build-up to the Champions Trophy 2017, yet their off the field campaign has begun under a cloud of a rift in the dressing room with the captain Virat Kohli, and presumably few other players, showing the lack of confidence in their head coach Anil Kumble. Talks of a rift between Kumble and Kohli have been doing the rounds after BCCI chose not to automatically extend the tenure of the current coach, which ends after the Champions Trophy, and instead advertise for the same position.

Later news had it that Kohli apparently finds Kumble’s coaching method “intimidating”. A rift between the two pillars of a team – the captain and coach, has certainly come at a wrong time when the support staff and the team need to work together to retain the trophy from 2013. Meanwhile, former Indian offie Harbhajan Singh has come out in support of Anil Kumble.

“Only present players will be able to tell what his relations with Anil bhai are. In my 15 years of playing with him, there has been no instance of any fight with him and he’s the best bowling mind in cricket, he’s always there to help.”  Harbhajan said at the Aaj Tak Salaam Cricket 2017 conclave.

Kumble played a big role in Harbhajan’s career 

He went on to praise his long time teammate and said Kumble played a big role in the making of the bowler that he became. Bhajji also added that the Indian team has won many laurels under Kumble in the past 1 year and that he is a very hardworking person.

“He’s been brilliant and he has played a major role in making me what I am today and I would like to thank him for that,” said Harbhajan further. “The impressive performance of the Indian team under Kumble in the past one year speaks for itself,”

“Anil Kumble is strict, you can always talk to him about cricket. He’s very hard working and believes that one shouldn’t leave the match till the last ball.”

Kumble is a respectful person 

Speaking of his own experience, the off-spinner said Kumble is not the kind of person who will have issues with the players. But he also said that since he is not a part of the current team he has no idea of what really is going and he doesn’t intend to either.

“If someone has issues with Kumble, he should go and talk to him because he’s a person of respect and as per my experience, he can’t have issues with anyone,” Harbhajan concluded.