Harbhajan Singh: Spin legend on the ILT20, UAE cricket, India and following your dreams

Former bowler gets behind grassroots cricket in the Emirates as he unveils new DP World facility in Dubai

Ex-India cricketer Harbhajan Singh speaks at a DP World initiative handing out cricket kit. DP World, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ex-India cricketer Harbhajan Singh is interviewed on stage. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Harbhajan meets a young fan. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO and Managing Director, GCC DP World. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Harbhajan Singh addresses the crowd. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Harbhajan snaps a picture at DP World, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A general view of the ceremony with ex-India cricketer Harbhajan Singh at a DP World. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Bearing in mind he could not speak English when he first started out in international cricket, it’s fair to say Harbhajan Singh has got the hang of it now.

Maybe that stands to reason. He did have a gilded, 17-year career for India, which took him to all points of cricket’s compass.

He won enough match awards to deem it necessary for at least a decent grasp of the language in which post-match ceremonies are most often delivered.

Still, though, DP World picked well when they invited the off-spin great along for the day to help out with some promotion.

Harbhajan was at the logistics company’s head office in Jebel Ali to help draw attention to an initiative designed to support the growth of grassroots cricket.

Specifically, he was there to unveil a shipping container which has been repurposed to provide changing facilities, secure storage, a scoreboard and a portable wicket. The container will be placed at Victoria Cricket Academy at Skyline University in Sharjah.

There will be no doubt as to its purpose, even when it is all locked up. On the outside is a striking mural of Sachin Tendulkar made by Saudi graffiti artist Maajed Ahmed.

It is the fourth of 50 such containers which DP World plan to provide around the world. Harbhajan was also tasked with giving out kitbags to children from various cricket academies around Dubai.

It was no surprise the aspiring players – plus a large chunk of the company’s staff – were in thrall to the former India star. What was less expected was quite how loquacious the man himself was while he was centre of attention.

“If you are dreaming when you are asleep, that dream will never come true,” Harbhajan said, in an off-the-cuff missive to everyone present, not just the child cricketers.

“Dream big, but dream while you are awake. Chase that dream by working hard and doing whatever it takes. Cricket gave me everything – name, fame – and I can’t thank it enough.”

Harbhajan was prompted on the significance of having decent cricket kit. He pointed out that he saved for six months for his first pair of cricket shoes, and still has them now, so much do they mean to him.

The bat with which he scored his two Test centuries, in back-to-back Tests against New Zealand in 2010, remains one of his most prized possessions.

“Coming from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, this is what you want to become – a cricketer,” he said.

“I saw Kapil Dev on the TV and I wanted to be like him. I started my career with judo, but I was being hammered every day.

“I left judo, started playing badminton, but that didn’t work. Then I wanted to become a cricketer, and although I didn’t have much, I had the will.

“There wasn’t the infrastructure where I came from. I’m from a village, a small place, and from there it is important to have the will to succeed.

“You have to have the will to become what you want to become. The only way it will happen is if you dream about it while you are awake.”

Harbhajan reckons the unheralded players from the UAE involved in the DP World International League T20 at present have the right to dream just as big as anyone else.

“They have a lot of potential,” he said. “[PSL-bound Muhammad] Waseem last year scored so many runs. He is someone who can play in any other league as well.

“There are many other players. Aayan Khan has done very well, bowling along with the leg-spinner [Zuhaib Zubair]. I think these youngsters are reaching their best now because they are rubbing shoulders with some of the greats of the game.

“It is great to have such a league that gives the opportunity for the local boys to go out and express themselves.

“When the IPL started, a lot of young players came up and played for India. Hopefully with this league it can help all the UAE players achieve their ultimate goal to play for their country, and win matches for their country.”

While he has been in the UAE for the best part of a month with his commentary duties on the ILT20, his old side’s series against England has not escaped Harbhajan’s attention.

The five-Test series is all-square at 1-1. Surprisingly, England took the first game on a turning pitch, before India bounced back in the second game to level.

Harbhajan echoed the view of his former captain, Sourav Ganguly, that India do not need to prepare turning pitches to get the better of visiting teams.

“Players like Jasprit Bumrah don't need any specific kind of pitch to perform,” he said.

“We have some equally capable spinners and batsmen but sometimes while trying to make conditions suitable for us, we tend to fall in the same pit we may have dug for our opponents.

“So, the toss becomes very important in those conditions. The result should not depend on the toss ideally. Make pitches where you can win despite losing the toss.

“The pitch for the second Test was a good one and see how the result went in favour of India. India has the potential but don't let the conditions dictate. Instead provide a platform for young India players to play all five days of the Test match and show their mettle.”