Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gestures after scoring 50 runs during the third T20 cricket match between Zimbabwe and India
| Photo Credit: AP

It was 25 years ago that Mark Butcher scored a monumental 173 not out in England’s successful chase against Australia in the Headingley Test. He scored seven other Test hundreds, some of them against the most fearsome attacks. He is now a popular commentator and sharp analyst of the game. Excerpts from Butcher’s exclusive interview with The Hindu at Lord’s:

Your comparison of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with Garry Sobers earlier this year got a lot of attention. It was fascinating, how you proved, through the help of visuals, the similarities in the bat swing, hand speed…

I watched him make that 175 [off 80 balls] in the Under-19 World Cup final [against England at Harare]. I was struck by that incredible, long, high backlift, the huge follow-through, the complete circle almost where the bat finishes around, tapping him on the spine. You know, Sobers used to hit a lot of shots with his feet together. He would play full balls almost off the back foot. And Sooryavanshi can hit them like that too.

Even if his career ends up not reaching the expectations that other people have, which I think is very unlikely, he has still in the IPL done something that all of the greatest players up until now have never, ever done: none of them have managed to score at a strike-rate of 230, hit that many sixes, be that consistent in the entirety of the IPL. It is still one of the most remarkable things I have ever seen.

Today’s youngsters are exposed to T20 from the beginning, whereas when I was very young, it was Test matches. They grow up thinking about batting very much in a hyper aggressive mode. These younger guys can do things at their age that we wouldn’t have dreamt of at ours.

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Yes, even Sachin Tendulkar didn’t hit as many sixes, for all his genius. Sooryavanshi is a product of the T20 era of cricket.

Correct. So he will have to learn the game the other way around. He will have to learn how to bat time, to defend. In our generation, it was the opposite. We would have to spend a lot of time learning how to hit the ball.

How do you recall your masterpiece — 173 not out in 2001?

My main memory is about that summer, really. I wasn’t expecting to play Test cricket again. I got an opportunity and I played 42 Tests in a row. I had completely changed my game.

Your father helped, didn’t he?

That is right. The biggest thing I remember is the relationship I had with my dad in the winter of 2001. I called him and said, ‘Dad, I am hating playing cricket.’ Something that I had always loved. Now I was hating it. And I said to him — ‘Treat me as though I have never played the game before.’ So we went right back to the beginning. He really taught me how to hold the bat, how to stand, the whole thing. We changed my grip. We changed my stance. We changed my backlift. Everything. We went back to zero. Like I was five years old. And we worked like that for about three months. And then I luckily got back into the team. I had made a few runs playing for Surrey. A few injuries in the England camp before the Ashes started, and I got in.

How much does that knock, which came against Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, mean to you?

Ah, it was huge. You wouldn’t be talking to me if it hadn’t been for that. And I wouldn’t be working in TV either. So that innings changed everything. It was the greatest day.

And how was the coach’s reaction?

I know my dad was in tears when [BBC] Test Match Special called him up.

The players you like to watch these days?

I actually love watching K.L. Rahul. I think he is a sensational player. Really classy. Harry Brook is fabulous to watch when he is in. Joe Root, too. And Travis Head — you can’t take your eyes off the screen when he is batting.

You have played against some of the greatest bowlers in history. Who were the most challenging among them?

Blimey! Curtly Ambrose. Him and Courtney Walsh. And then you had, obviously, Shane Warne. Glenn McGrath. Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan].

Among the Indians?

Harbhajan [Singh] and [Anil] Kumble, on those tracks.

And the batters you admired?

[Brian] Lara was sort of the king around about those times. Fellow left-hander, so I greatly admired him. Then the guys like [Ricky] Ponting, Sachin [Tendulkar], obviously. I remember applauding Ricky from second slip at the WACA, much to the annoyance of Nasser Hussain, who was standing next to me at slip. He glared at me. I was just standing there going, ‘Oh man, that’s good’. There were a lot of great players around, like the South Africans, Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith.

Is there cause for concern about the future of Test cricket?

Yeah, of course, there is. What you would like is to have eight to ten teams who are competing on a level playing field. If only England, Australia and India are playing each other, the game is starting to eat itself, you know.

Eventually, one of the great things about all of the series that go around is that you are anticipating and you are excited about the idea about playing this team at this venue. But if it is the same three teams the whole time, it is not that exciting.

What has happened in the modern era is that the gap between the countries that have plenty of finances and the rest has got wider. The competition has perhaps thinned out a little bit in recent times. And that is a huge shame, that finances have meant that a lot of countries, the West Indies, being the most obvious example simply because of their dominance [in the past], have suffered.

South Africa are kind of hanging in there. They are still producing a lot of players and they still manage just about to keep enough of their most talented players to play Tests. But in places like Sri Lanka and the West Indies, they find it very difficult to keep their best players who disappear off to earn more money playing T20. And that is a problem for the world game.

The First Class game and the structures that produce Test Match cricketers are strong in some places and not very strong at all in others.

Your thoughts on Bazball?

I have been critical of it at times. In the game of cricket, the Test match is the game. And they tried to do something that was going to take the game to a different place. But Test match cricket kind of fought against it a little bit. Because when it came down to it, in the big games against the likes of India and Australia, it didn’t work. And so, Test match cricket is kind of greater than any idea that people might have around how you play it.

And Test cricket is the greatest form of sport.

It is. The sport itself dictates to you what is necessary. And if you push too hard, the game will bite you back. And that is what happened. There is as much pleasure to be taken from a really hard-fought draw sometimes as there is from smashing it all over the park.

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The women got to play a Test at Lord’s, finally.

This has come about because the world has decided, well, you know, this is a great game of cricket, right? Why would we want to stop 50% of the world’s population from enjoying and playing the sport that we think is a great sport? And so that opportunity is now there and what you are seeing is a product of that.

Players in the women’s game that you enjoy watching?

I like Smriti Mandhana’s batting. She is just an incredibly graceful player. So easy on the eye. Very, very lovely to watch. She plays pace and spin equally well. She reminds me of David Gower, in fact. Harmanpreet Kaur is very good to watch, too. And Jemimah Rodrigues is a fine technician.

Besides cricket, music is your other passion. And you had the opportunity of performing with Sarah Brightman, one of the greatest voices of our time.

It was good fun, singing some of Sarah’s favourite songs on live television. It was kind of nerve-racking, but it was good.

Former spinner Harbhajan Singh has warned the Indian team to be cautious of Fakhar Zaman in the upcoming fixture against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. India and Pakistan will add another chapter to their famed cricketing rivalry in Dubai on February 23. Ahead of the much-anticipated encounter, Harbhajan warned the Rohit Sharma-led side to be wary of Fakhar, who has the experience to take the game away from India. “Fakhar has that experience, and he can take the game away from India,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

The southpaw boasts an impressive record against the Men in Blue in the ODIs. With his explosive approach, Fakhar has garnered 234 runs in six matches, averaging 46.80 at a blistering strike rate of 82.39.

In the Champions Trophy, India and Pakistan last battled in the final of the 2017 edition at The Oval. Fakhar proved the difference between the two sides when the stakes were high.

After being put to bat on a placid surface, Fakhar delivered a swashbuckling 114 from 106 deliveries to lift Pakistan to a herculean score of 338/4. In reply, India’s batters crumbled in pursuit of the mounting target and succumbed to a 180-run defeat.

The defending champions, Pakistan, hold an edge over India in the Champions Trophy, winning three compared to India’s two out of their five matches in the tournament.

During the buildup of the Champions Trophy, India will enter the tournament with a scorching form. Days before the Champions Trophy, the Rohit Sharma-led side sweeped the ODI series away with a 3-0 win over England.

On the other hand, Pakistan has been dwindling for consistency, form and rhythm. On their home turf, the Men in Green lost the ODI Tri-nation series between South Africa and New Zealand.

The hosts comprehensively lost the first game against the Kiwis but found their rhythm by chasing down a record 353-run target against South Africa in Karachi.

In the final, New Zealand edged out the Men in Green without breaking a sweat, establishing their supremacy before playing the tournament opener against Pakistan on Wednesday. Before featuring in the high-profile match against Pakistan, India will begin its campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday.

While dropping his prediction, former spinner Harbhajan Singh has cautioned fans not to expect much entertainment in the blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan in the upcoming Champions Trophy on February 23. The tension and atmosphere are entirely different when the arch-rivals appear on the same field in search of glory. After playing out a nerve-wracking thriller in the T20 World Cup 2024 group stage, India and Pakistan will add a new chapter in their cut-throat rivalry on February 23 in Dubai.

India and Pakistan’s last encounter in the Champions Trophy dates back to the 2017 final at The Oval. With Sarfaraz Ahmed at the helm, Pakistan lifted its maiden Champions Trophy title with an emphatic 180-run triumph over its bitter rival.

But this time, Harbhajan doesn’t expect the “overhyped” match to go right down to the wire, considering the massive gap between the two sides.

“We will discuss the overhyped match between India and Pakistan. Yes, it is overhyped because there is nothing in it. India is a strong team. Pakistan is inconsistent. If you compare the numbers with the Indian team, the picture will become clear,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

During the buildup of the marquee event, India will enter the tournament with a scorching form. Days before the Champions Trophy, the Rohit Sharma-led side sweeped the ODI series away with a 3-0 win over England.

On the other hand, Pakistan, on their home turf, lost the ODI Tri-nation series against South Africa and New Zealand. The hosts comprehensively lost the first game against the Kiwis but found their rhythm by chasing down a record 353-run target against South Africa in Karachi.

In the final, New Zealand edged out the Men in Green without breaking a sweat, establishing their supremacy before playing the tournament opener against Pakistan on Wednesday.

For Harbhajan, the difference in the form that both sides have boasted before the tournament proves to be a reason for India’s success in their upcoming encounter against Pakistan.

“I think the Pakistan team is undercooked. Apart from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, there are not many batters. I feel it will be a one-sided game. I don’t think there will be much entertainment. I think in this contest, India is far ahead,” he added.

“Enjoy” is the simple message former spinner Harbhajan Singh had for Indian cricket stalwart Virat Kohli, who is currently playing in the ongoing Ranji Trophy match for Delhi against Railways. The hometown hero returned to the Arun Jaitley Stadium for his first Ranji Trophy match since 2012. Fans turned up in large numbers and filled the stadium to catch a glimpse of their beloved star in action. The crowd went wild when a fan managed to slip past the security and made his way onto the field to touch Virat’s feet while he was stationed at the slips.

For Harbhajan, whether Virat scores runs or not is a different matter altogether. He just wants Virat to enjoy cricket and impart knowledge to India’s young crop of talent.

“Virat Kohli is a role model. Youngsters will look up to him. If he scores runs or doesn’t, it is a different matter. If I was Virat Kohli, it would be to enjoy. When we start playing cricket because we enjoy it,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

“When you reach Virat’s level, the pressure and expectations take the front seat while enjoyment takes the back seat. I want him to enjoy the game and tell youngsters how to be Virat Kohli,” he added.

Virat’s return to the domestic circuit comes during a phase when runs have eluded him. Last year, the 36-year-old had an underwhelming run across all formats, considering the standards he has set for himself.

Virat ended 2024 with just 655 international runs in 23 matches and 32 innings, averaging 21.83, with one century and two fifties. His best score of the year was an unbeaten century in Perth against Australia.

When one takes a closer look at his statistics, Virat’s prolonged dry spell in red-ball formats stands out. In 10 Tests last year, the seasoned star scored just 417 runs at an average of 24.52, with only one century and one fifty.

Harbhajan had a simple solution for Virat to cure his run-scoring woes: “Occupy the crease.” The former spinner believes that if the 36-year-old spends time on the crease, runs will naturally flow from his bat.

“When he goes out to bat, he should occupy the crease and spend three to four hours. Even if Virat scores zero, he will still be Virat Kohli. He will never be a lesser player. His achievements are very big. He should occupy the crease, and if he does that, he will score runs,” he added.

The competition for places in the Indian team is such that one or two deserving players often miss out, no matter the series or tournament. As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the Champions Trophy and England ODIs, wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson missed out despite his exemplary average in the 50-over format. Harbhajan Singh, former India spinner, admitted being heartbroken to see Samson miss out. While the argument remains, in whose place, should Samson have been picked, Harbhajan feels space could’ve been made for the Kerala cricketer.

“Truly, I feel bad for him. He scores runs but he is dropped. I know you can only select 15, but I feel his batting suits the format. He has an average of 55-56, but he isn’t even there as a second wicketkeeper. When we talk about selecting him, people ask, in whose place? Places can be made,” Harbhajan said in a chat with Switch.

Samson isn’t the only player whose absence left Harbhajan disappointed. The former India spinner also questioned the omission of leg-spinnner Yuzvendra Chahal, who isn’t a part of India’s T20I series against England either.

“Sanju isn’t there. Yuzvendra Chahal isn’t there, too. You’ve picked four spinners, two of them are left-armers. You could’ve included a leg-spinner for variation, too. Chahal is a superb bowler. I don’t know what wrong he did that he doesn’t fit this team,” said Harbhajan.

Young opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal was picked for the ICC Champions Trophy but Harbhajan doesn’t think he would get to open or play either at No. 3 or No. 4.

“I thought Yashasvi would open, but now, I don’t feel that. Shubman Gill is the vice-captain, so he will play. And Yashasvi won’t bat at three or four, because Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer will occupy those spots,” said Harbhajan.

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has lashed out at the management over Karun Nair‘s omission from the squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy. On Saturday, India captain Rohit Sharma and chairman of the selection committee Ajit Agarkar announced India’s 15-man squad during a press conference at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Nair scored 27 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final against Karnataka, ending the season as the highest run-getter with 779 runs in eight matches.

However, Harbhajan lashed out at the selectors for ignoring Nair, and questioned whether there’s any point of scoring runs in domestic cricket when performing players are not being selected.

“Is there a point playing Domestic cricket when you don’t pick players based on form & performance?,” Harbhajan posted on X.

Is there a point playing Domestic cricket when you don’t pick players based on form & performance ? #KarunNair

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) January 18, 2025

During the press conference, Agarkar admitted that it was indeed tough to include Karun in a squad of 15 in the current situation.

“Yeah, it is tough. Those are really special performances. I mean, someone who averages – 700-plus, 750-plus. We did have a chat (about Karun),” Agarkar explained.

“But at the moment, to find a spot in this team is very difficult. I mean, look at the guys who’ve been picked. All average well in excess of mid-40s.

“So, unfortunately, you can’t fit everyone in. It’s a squad of 15. But those performances (like Karun) certainly make you take notice,” he added.

Having last played for India in March 2017, Nair was the only Test triple centurion for India after legendary opener Virender Sehwag.

In six Tests for India since his debut in 2016, he made 374 runs in seven innings at an average of 62.33, with best score of 303*. Nair also played two ODIs for India, scoring 46 runs with best score of 39.

India Squad for Champions Trophy and England ODIs: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardil Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana (only 2 ODIs vs England)

(With ANI Inputs)

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Friday asserted that the BCCI’s 10-point policy for its centrally-contracted players has actually been in place since his playing days and wanted to know when was it “altered” and by whom. Terming the guidelines “fresh documentation”, Harbhajan said the move diverts attention from the team’s forgettable on-field performance against New Zealand and Australia recently. Days after the 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the BCCI has come up with a 10-point diktat to promote “discipline and unity”, making domestic cricket mandatory, imposing restriction on the presence of families and personal staff on tours and banning individual commercial endorsements during series.

To Harbhajan, all these measures seemed like old wine in a new bottle.

“Let me first put this on record. When I was reading the travel policy document reported by the media, I hardly found anything new from the last time I represented India as a centrally-contracted cricketer,” Harbhajan told PTI during an interaction.

“At least nine out of 10 points, including duration of family visits, staying in same hotel, practice timings, all are same. My question is if these rules were in place during my time, who all have altered it and when? That should be probed,” Harbhajan, who has 700 plus international wickets across formats, said.

The same assertion was also made by one of Harbhajan’s former India teammate Irfan Pathan.

For Harbhajan, what is certainly not funny is the timing of issuing these guidelines as he feels the discussion should have been strictly on cricket only.

“Hum log mudde se bhatak rahein hain (We are deviating from the main issue). We didn’t lose 1-3 because wives and partners were there for two months. We didn’t lose because someone travelled separately.

“We lost because we have played very poor cricket at times. We didn’t bat well even at home. We have players who are horribly out of form. What are the course corrections being made? Or is it just these off-the-field things being discussed?” he questioned.

One of India’s finest spinners, Harbhajan then recollected his playing days.

“I think some of the points needed to be revisited because they were being flouted. Like in our times, I never saw a Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid or Anil Kumble leave for Mumbai, Kolkata or Bengaluru just because the match has ended in three days and next game is a week away.

“They all stayed and travelled to next destination. Only change I see (in the new rulebook) is 150 kg suitcase allowance. Back in the day, we used to have lesser.

“Why would you need to tell players that you have to travel by team bus? That’s a given. If someone was breaking the rule, that person needs to be probed.” While he completely supported barring the personal entourage of any particular player or a coach, Harbhajan felt that the BCCI can have a couple of quality chefs travelling with the team.

“BCCI has deep pockets. Why do you need to carry personal chefs. In soccer World Cup, big teams carry their own chef, who takes care of dietary requirements of players. Have a couple of team chefs. It is not a big deal,” he added.

Gambhir’s role is on field not administrative

According to Harbhajan, the only thing new in the policy document is players requiring prior approval of head coach Gautam Gambhir on certain matters, and the former spinner didn’t agree with that.

“In our times, it used to be written that prior approval of BCCI was needed on certain matters. So, for approvals, drop a mail to BCCI and ask for permission. Why does the head coach need to get into all this? That is not his job.

“His job is on the field and in the technical aspects where we are lacking. Administrative part should be left with competent people in the BCCI,” he said.

File photo of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma; (right) Harbhajan Singh© AFP

File photo of Harbhajan Singh and Gautam Gambhir© AFP