Players need professional advice
Anil Kumble has bowled alongside Harbhajan Singh for a decade and is now his Test captain
Nishi Narayanan
25-Feb-2013
Anil Kumble has bowled alongside Harbhajan Singh for a decade and is now his Test captain. Regarding the latest controversy that Harbhajan was involved in - an on-field spat with Sreesanth - Kumble writes in the Hindustan Times that it's important someone ensures that players are given the right kind of advice, that there are professionals around to help them cope with fame and handle the money it brings.
Players need to learn to respect the opposition and most importantly, to gain the respect of everyone. It's very important to understand what you should not say instead of what you would naturally say.
At the same time, just because you're a cricketer, it doesn't mean you hold back constantly and suppress your normal character. But because people watch, learn, imitate you, it’s vital to find a balance. Which is why perhaps, we need to be educated on how to handle success and failure…
In the Indian Express, Kunal Pradhan asks how the Indian board and media would have reacted if Harbhajan had slapped a foreign player?
As we sit in judgment over Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth, it would perhaps be prudent to evaluate our own attitude. There is no denying that the off-spinner is out of control and the fast bowler is no saint. To put it bluntly, they have both got what was coming their way for a while now. But weren’t we standing and cheering as these players became emboldened with every misdemeanour they committed?
Nishi Narayanan is a staff writer at ESPNcricinfo