Green-top Pitches in Ranji Trophy May Ruin Spinners: Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh has slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India for producing seamer-friendly pitches in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. Harbhajan felt the green tops have given a false sense of confidence to medium-pacers and made spinners virtually redundant.

Harbhajan, who has not played a ODI in four years and last featured in a Test match in March 2013, said it would be impossible to produce quality spinners if pitches do not wear down and offer uneven bounce in the dying moments of the game. (ICC Scanner on Harbhajan, Ojha Bowling Actions: Reports)

"It is very difficult to produce spinners if you are playing Ranji Trophy on greentops like this (Pune) wicket" Harbhajan told ESPNCricinfo on the sidelines of the Ranji game between Punjab and Maharashtra.

"You cannot see any cracks, any foot marks on this wicket. We won the toss and bowled them (Maharashtra) out for 210. Even in the first session (on the second and third days), the ball kept moving because there is so much of moisture below the wicket. It will remain green on all four days.

"Where will you get spinners to come into play on such tracks? The moment a spinner comes on to bowl, batsman feels it is an opportunity to make runs. There is no challenge. There is no spin, no bounce. There should be something for spinners. There should be something to play for each of the eleven guys in a team. That is missing." (Harbhajan Role Model for Chuckers)

Harbhajan said if India wanted to improve their bowling arsenal, sporting pitches were the need of the hour, not surfaces laden with grass, where ordinary bowlers suddenly begin to pose a lot of threat. The feisty spinner, never afraid to speak out, said some domestic medium pacers, who hardly bowled faster than 120 kmph, have started to "feel like Malcolm Marshall".

Harbhajan, who formed a lethal pair with former leg-spinner Anil Kumble for nearly a decade, said the BCCI should make pitches that have something for pacers and spinners. (Hair Should Shut up, Our Action Was Fine, Says Harbhajan)

"I feel the wicket should offer help to pacers on the first morning but it shouldn't get bowlers into a mindset that 'waah, toss jeet gaye, ab toh mera hi din hai (wow, we have won the toss. Now it is my day)'. There should be help for bowlers but if a batsman applies himself he should also be able to score big. And on the fourth-fifth days, spinners should come into play."

India's spin resources have appeared increasingly stingless since Kumble retired with 619 wickets in 2008. Harbhajan has struggled to hold on to his place in the side and the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have failed to deliver on overseas tours of South Africa, New Zealand and England.