Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh has criticized India's head coach Gautam Gambhir for making allegations against Sarfaraz Khan regarding the leaking of dressing room information. Harbhajan believes Gambhir should have addressed the matter directly with the youngster rather than making public accusations.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan discussed the ongoing controversies surrounding the Indian cricket team following their defeat in Australia. He also shared his thoughts on Gambhir's remarks about Sarfaraz. Harbhajan said that Gambhir should have spoken to Sarfaraz privately instead of blaming him in front of BCCI officials.
"Whatever has happened in the last few days, whether in Australia or after that, there are wins and losses on the field. But new stories should not come out of the dressing room every day," Harbhajan said. "If the coach has said this, he should not have done so. If Sarfaraz Khan had done this in Australia, you are the coach, you could have talked to him then. He is a player, make him understand. He is a youngster, he will play for India in the future."
While Harbhajan acknowledged the importance of maintaining confidentiality in the dressing room, he also stressed the need for resolving such issues internally. "If he (Gautam Gambhir) has said this, that Sarfaraz has leaked the news, and if the player has indeed done so, then it's wrong. Dressing room talks should not come out in the open. You should sit and solve the matter," he added.
Harbhajan further drew a comparison between the current situation in Indian cricket and the era when Greg Chappell was the head coach. During Chappell's tenure, there was a lack of communication between the players and the coaching staff, which led to a decline in the team's performance.
"In the last six-eight months, there have been a lot of rumours in Indian cricket. It's very important that there is coordination among players and the coach," Harbhajan said. "In the 2005-06 season, during Greg Chappell's era, the same thing happened."
A recent report from News 24 claimed that Gambhir named Sarfaraz in a BCCI review meeting, accusing him of leaking India's dressing room discussions to the media. The meeting had also included talks about India's poor performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Although reports suggested Gambhir blamed Sarfaraz, the coach has not officially confirmed these claims and has not publicly addressed the issue. However, he had expressed his disapproval of the leaking of dressing room information during a press conference.
Sarfaraz Khan was part of India's squad for the Test series in Australia but did not play any matches.