'Used to bring me Peshawari jutti': Harbhajan on friendship with Pakistan players

India will renew their rivalry with Pakistan in Asia Cup on 28 August. Both these sides will then lock horns once again in the T20 World Cup later in the year. Ahead of the series, Star Sports has started a programme on their official YouTube channel where players from both sides speak about their experience from India vs Pakistan matches. Earlier this week, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh spoke about his relationship with the Pakistan players. Speaking in the video, Harbhajan said that he was friends with former Pakistan spinner and current head coach Saqlain Mushtaq and that always spoke about bowling. “I was friends with Saqlain Mushtaq. I used to discuss cricket with him. After him, I met their whole team,” Harbhajan said. He also went on to say that back in the 1999 Test match where Anil Kumble picked up all 10 wickets, he did not want to take any wicket and jeopardise Kumble’s efforts of taking all 10 wickets. “Taking 10 wickets is a big deal. After he took 6-7 wickets, I was like, ‘I hope I don’t get a wicket. He should get all the wickets now’,” Harbhajan recalled.

He then went on to speak about his friendship with Pakistan cricketers and revealed that Shahid Afridi used to bring him special gifts. “I had friends in the Pakistan team as well. They used to bring me Punjabi dramas and Peshwari jutti. Lala (Afridi) used to bring me those things,” Harbhajan said. When India meet Pakistan at Asia Cup in Dubai and T20 World Cup in Australia, they will be keen to bounce back after losing for the first time in a World Cup when Pakistan beat them by 10 wickets in the last T20 World Cup. Both these sides would want to make a statement in the Asia Cup ahead of the T20 World Cup. There have been changes made to the Indian side as Rohit Sharma will lead the side that has seen the return of a number of experienced players.