NFed up with Darren lehmann’s constant sledging during a tour of Australia, Harbhajan Singh once asked the current Australian head coach whether he was “pregnant” or not while pointing to his “huge stomach”, the veteran off-spinner has recalled.
Harbhajan said he gave back to the Australians, including lehman and legendary fast bowler Glenn McGrath, with whom he had frequent spats.
“Australians felt they were the biggest superstars, nobody can beat them, they always looked to dominate. But we were from a generation which was never docile. I come from Punjab and Punjabis by nature always speak their minds,” Harbhajan said.
“I was batting and (Darren) lehmann was continuously sledging me. He had a huge stomach and his slack string used to hang out like Shakti Kapoor’s. I was so much perturbed over his sledging that I pointed towards his abdomen and asked: ‘Are you pregnantIJ’ lehmann told this to Shane Warne who burst out laughing. Warne asked me whether I said this...’ Well, players shouldn’t have such huge stomachs,” Harbhajan was quoted as saying in ‘Aap ki Adalat’ programme to be aired soon.
“(Glenn) McGrath sledged me a lot. He felt who’s this guy playing after I have dismissed top batsmen. I replied back. He used to sledge once, I replied thrice, he sledged twice, I replied five times. A time came when the Australians stopped sledging me,” said the out-of-favour off-spinner who has played in 103 Tests since making his debut in 1998. On the infamous spat with Andrew Symonds, Harbhajan said: “I didn’t say monkey. It was their allegation. I only told him — ‘teri maa ki...Haath ki roti khaane ko bada dil kar raha hai’. He did not listen at all. Anyway, he did not know Hindi, and I don’t know English.”
On the infamous IPl incident in which he slapped S Sreesanth, Harbhajan said: “Actually, he (Sreesanth) did a ‘nautanki’ (drama). It was my fault that I did that (slapping) on the ground. I have admitted in all my interviews that I committed this mistake in my life.”I was guilty in the Sreesanth episode, and I am ashamed even today, but the way he wept, as if I slapped him very hard. But anyhow that was something obviously which everybody will remember that I made a mistake. I am again saying, I’m sorry.”