15 February,2014 06:50 AM IST | | Harit N Joshi
There seems to be no end to Harmeet Singh's woes. The left-arm spinner's career has failed to take off after his outstanding performance in India's title triumph at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Australia in 2012.
Harmeet Singh
There seems to be no end to Harmeet Singh's woes. The left-arm spinner's career has failed to take off after his outstanding performance in India's title triumph at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Australia in 2012.
Harmeet Singh
After that victory, Harmeet figured in the 2012-13 Irani Cup, Challenger Trophy and Duleep Trophy. But since then nothing has gone the 21-year-old's way.
Firstly, Harmeet was embroiled in the spot fixing controversy that rocked Rajasthan Royals in the last edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However the BCCI Disciplinary Committee gave him a clean chit later. Vidarbha, who were keen to hire Harmeet for the Ranji Trophy season, left the youngster without a state team.
BCCI clearance
Mumbai welcomed him back, but he was not considered during the 2013-14 Ranji season. The BCCI cleared him of any wrong doing in the IPL scandal, but Harmeet was restricted to local tournaments in Mumbai.
Harmeet, who was hoping to play some competitive cricket soon will be missing from action in IPL 7 after no team bid for him in the players auction in Bangalore. So did Harmeet fall out of favour with IPL franchises because his name cropped up in the spot fixing investigations? The youngster certainly does not think so. "I don't think that's the case. I have already been given a clean chit by the BCCI. The Delhi Police is also aware that I was not involved in any such thing (spot fixing). It is unfortunate that my name cropped up, but my case is very much clear. So, I don't think I was not bought in the IPL auction because of what happened last season," Harmeet told MiD DAY.
It can be recalled that Harmeet was approached by his Rajasthan Royals teammate Ajit Chandila, who fixed a meeting where bookies urged Harmeet to indulge in spot fixing at the start of
IPL VI.
The youngster reportedly turned down the offer. Ravi Sawani, head of BCCI's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, later questioned the left-arm spinner. He was issued a show cause notice for not reporting the incident to the Indian board or IPL officials.
Hard luck
Harmeet is disappointed at not getting picked in the IPL auction, but takes it in his stride. "I was keen to play for some team in the IPL, but it happens in an auction. There were so many players in it. A lot also depends on your luck because sometimes by the time your turn comes, most of the teams have formed their squads. Frankly, I hardly played any competitive matches in the last season so it was going to be difficult for me (to get picked) in the auction," Harmeet said.
