Harbhajan Singh Criticizes Gautam Gambhir Over 'Leaked' Dressing Room News in Australia, Stands by Sarfaraz Khan

New Delhi: Following the conclusion of the India vs Australia Border Gavaskar Trophy in the first week of January, Indian cricket has been surrounded by controversies and rumors. The latest shocking claim came in a report stating that India coach Gautam Gambhir had named a player in a BCCI review meeting, accusing him of leaking information from the Indian dressing room. The player in question, as per a video report by News 24, was Sarfaraz Khan. Spin legend Harbhajan Singh has called for a more rational approach amidst these rumors and shared a message for Gautam Gambhir.

“Whatever has happened in the past few days, whether in Australia or after that… there are wins and losses on the field, but new stories should not keep emerging from the dressing room. Today, there was a report that coach saab (Gautam Gambhir) mentioned Sarfaraz Khan leaked dressing room talks to the media. If coach saab did say this, he shouldn’t have. If Sarfaraz Khan had done this in Australia, as the coach, you could have addressed it then. He is a young player, and you could have spoken to him. He is a future prospect for India,” Harbhajan Singh said on his YouTube channel.

“Being a senior player, it’s our responsibility to guide the youngsters. If Gautam Gambhir has said that Sarfaraz leaked the news, and if the player indeed did so, it’s wrong. Dressing room discussions should stay private. Gambhir is new to this role and should be given time. Likewise, the players also need time to adapt to the new system,” Harbhajan Singh added.

The hero of many Indian victories, Harbhajan Singh, emphasized that matters discussed in the dressing room should remain private.

“You should sit down and resolve issues internally. Over the last six to eight months, there have been too many rumors in Indian cricket. It’s crucial for players and coaches to have good coordination. The same thing happened during the Greg Chappell era in the 2005-06 season,” Harbhajan remarked.

Furious about the leaks from BCCI meetings, Harbhajan questioned, “Who’s doing this and why? You shouldn’t air your family’s dirty laundry in public, as it tarnishes the family’s reputation.”

Sarfaraz Khan did not feature in a single game during the five-Test series, as Australia reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2014-15.