Harbhajan Singh wants BCCI to switch from SG balls to the Duke

Indian off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh who is now not featuring in the national squad feels that the Duke balls used in England are much better than the SG ball, given the fact that the SG ball loses its shape soon.

“The SG balls go out of shape pretty early, and you’ve to change it frequently. The Duke, as I saw in England, retains its shape and doesn’t need to be changed till the new ball is due,” he suggested.

“Earlier, I was only playing international cricket and had little idea about the issues in domestic cricket. However, the experience of doing so for the last four-five years has given me a fair idea of what needs to be done to improve it,” Harbhajan told TOI.

“I’ve given my suggestions in this regard to the concerned people in the Board. I won’t be able to attend the conclave due to personal commitments (he’s about to become a father), but my views will be put forth by our representative,” said the 35-year-old.

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He backs the idea of having neutral venues for domestic cricket matches. The idea crossed his mind after he took ten wickets in a game to spin out Tamil Nadu on a rank turner at Dindigul.

“It was perhaps the best venue that I’ve played in domestic cricket. There were around five to six thousand people who turned up to watch that match, and the ground was beautiful, lush green. However, when I saw the wicket before the match, I realised that it was unfit for a first-class game. Any batsman could’ve been hurt on that. The match finished before lunch on the second day. I didn’t enjoy taking wickets in that match at all,” he recalled.

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“It’s a real concern. The game shouldn’t be about ordinary spinners or bowlers taking wickets. It should be about skill, fighting till the end. Domestic cricket has to be about producing champion players, who can do well in any conditions. Let’s make fair wickets which give a chance to everyone. For this reason, I feel that we can have a system where players from the South play in the North Zone or say a Punjab team plays at various grounds in Gujarat. There’s no point in playing on doctored wickets.”

When asked whether the introduction of neutral venues would trash the local interest, he shot back saying, “Is that more important or is it fine to produce bowlers who’ll struggle to take wickets abroad or batsmen who don’t know how to construct an innings, because they simply haven’t batted that long,”

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Bhajji also added that all the players in a team must wear the same kit in first-class cricket. “All the players in a team must wear the same kit, including the helmet. Right now, you see players using their IPL or India helmets, which isn’t correct. It is first-class cricket after all. In county cricket, all players wear the same gear, from head to toe, and it makes players feel that they’re playing for a side. Lastly, the Board must make it mandatory that every domestic team will have a qualified trainer and a physio,”