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Selectors Will Not Look at me Because They Feel I am Too Old: Harbhajan Singh

India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh would turn 40 this year, but still harbours hope of playing for the national side, at least in the T20Is.

Having played in four finals in the IPL, the veteran player believes that he has the skill and experience to still perform for India.

“I’m ready,” Singh told ESPNcricinfo. “If I can bowl well in IPL, which is a very difficult tournament for bowlers because the grounds are smaller, and all the top players in world cricket play in the IPL…it is very challenging to bowl against them and if you can do well against them in IPL, you can do well in international cricket. I have bowled predominantly in the powerplay and middle overs and got wickets.”

Incidentally the last time Harbhajan played for India was in 2016, in a T20I encounter in the Asia Cup. But he has has remained one of the finest off spinners in the IPL with 150 scalps at an economy of 7.05.

Harbhajan has been performing well as compared to his contemporaries, and boasts of a better economy rate too. While R Ashwin has bagged 52 wickets in 46 matches at an economy of 6.97, Harbhajan has 25 wickets in 28 matches at an economy of 6.20. New recruit Washington Sundar has 19 wickets in 23 matches at an ecnomy of 6.93.

Harbhajab said that he was hurt that selectors didn’t pick him up despite his successes. “They will not look at me because they feel I am too old,” he said. “Also I don’t play any domestic cricket. [In the] Last four-five years they did not look at me even though I was doing well in the IPL, taking wickets and I had all my records to back my case.”

He goes on to say that he has the belief to perform for the team. If he can do well in the IPL, why not international cricket.

“In international cricket not all teams have quality players like IPL teams, where every team has a top-six which is good,” Singh said. “Yes, Australia, England, India have all got very good batting line-ups. But if I can get Johnny Bairstow and David Warner in IPL, don’t you think I can get them in international cricket? But it is not in my hands. No one comes and talk to you in this present Indian set-up.”

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