Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh named his colleague who was often late for the team van, and it was not Sourav Ganguly. When Harbhajan came on ‘Who’s The Boss?’ with his wife Rushma, he referred to former bowler Ashish Nehra.
When asked about one of Nehra’s most aggravating qualities, Rushma replied that he was usually late everywhere. While Ganguly had a reputation for being late for tosses, Harbhajan revealed that Nehra was often late to the team bus.
“He was the only guy who would be late everyday in the team bus. All the time late. Anil Bhai used to see him and say you’re late again today, why aren’t you on time? He would say he forgot something. Then, when Dada was the captain, he did not care about it and said come it’s alright,” he said.
Nehra justified himself, claiming that Anil Kumble was always early, which is why he appeared to be late.
“Anil Bhai’s problem was that if the bus had to leave at 8 in the morning, he would reach at 7:45. That does not mean that if we come at 7:55, we are late. He would come early,” he expressed.
Harbhajan and Ashish Nehra played together for many years. They also won the 2011 World Cup together.
Harbhajan Singh reveals a hilarious story of how Ashish Nehra got late for a game
In the same session, Harbhajan told about a funny story of Ashish Nehra coming late to a game. West Indies had to face India in Rajkot in 2002. He (Harbhajan) and Nehra used to be house mates.
The old spinner explained the way he made an attempt to wake up Nehra but the pacer went back to sleep in the room. Nehra came to the pitch in time and he charged Harbhajan Singh on the failure to wake him up.
“I was his room partner. The match was in Rajkot. I got up, brushed my teeth, took bath and tried to wake him up. He slept again. I told him to get up. I thought he will. It was getting late and I had to go downstairs for breakfast. I went down ad told him that I am going. He told he would come and slept again. We then went to the ground. Ashish did not come to the ground. John Wright asked me where is Ash? I dont know how someone woke him up and got him to the ground. He put the entire blame on me that I did not wake him up,” Harbhajan said.
Nehra described how he arrived only five minutes before the toss and kept captain Ganguly waiting. He also stated that India was bowling first in that game.
“Viru had scored a hundred in that game. The match would start at 9:30. I reached at 8:55 and the toss was at 9, I was coming in and Ganguly was waiting for us because he had to write the names. It was in 2002 against the West Indies. As soon as I entered, he saw me and asked if everything was set. I said yes, and we were also bowling first.”
Harbhajan played 367 international matches for India in various formats, while Ashish Nehra played 164.
