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Published : Nov 11, 2024 15:47 IST , Illinois – 32 MINS READ
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FILE PHOTO: Harmeet Singh celebrates after picking up a wicket during the T20 World Cup 2024 encounter against Canada. | Photo Credit: X @usacricket
A child prodigy from the maidans of Mumbai, Harmeet Singh played in two U-19 World Cup campaigns for India and led Mumbai through multiple age-group categories before shifting base to Tripura in search of better opportunities.
With chances continuing to diminish in domestic cricket, the 32-year-old left-arm spinner left Indian shores to the USA to further his cricketing career.
The southpaw was picked for the 2024 T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and USA where he picked up four wickets and scored 69 runs in the team’s inspiring run to the Super Eights.
The former Rajasthan Royals cricket spoke to Sportstar about his decision to shift to the States, his experiences of playing in the US Leagues, his expectations for US cricket in the future and much more.
Qn: You have won several Man of the Match awards. Which one of these do you cherish the most?
Ans: I think, for me, the best one will always be the first one. I was playing in my home city, Houston, against Canada. I had a good game, and it was a typical all-round performance.
Also, the game against Bangladesh was a clutch moment, especially when our backs were against the wall. We needed 55 or 60 runs from four overs, and then we chased it down against one of the best fast bowlers in modern-day cricket, Mustafizur Rahman, and the others. So, it really gives you some validation that you belong there.
The fact that the USA has been playing against countries like Nepal, Scotland, and the Netherlands is certainly giving a lot of exposure to USA cricketers, and that must be a very good thing for the lads, don’t you think?
Oh yeah, definitely. I think we’ve had a full calendar year of cricket. If I’m not wrong, this is the first time it’s happened that the players have been playing cricket throughout and have been challenged with injuries.
Luckily, I survived the whole season without any injury, God willing. But we did face a lot of injuries along the way, because guys are not used to playing so many games throughout the year, traveling from one place to another, and staying away from home. Mentally, it was challenging, and physically, it was very draining.
So, it was something new for most of the guys. Coming from a first-class background, I’ve seen those seasons before, but for me, it was after a three or four-year break due to the cooling period after I first came to America. But this is the lifestyle I would love as a cricketer — playing a lot of games and winning for the USA. So far, it has been very good, and I’m really enjoying my cricket here.
You played in India and now in the USA. In India, you were playing with people from one nation. But now, in the USA, you’re playing with teammates from diverse backgrounds — the West Indies, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, England and others. Does that pose a challenge, or does it make things more interesting? How do you see that?
Yeah, I think playing franchise cricket really helps with handling these multicultural challenges. But, when you play for your country, of course, it’s slightly different, and you need to approach it differently. You have to ensure that everyone is on the same page because you’ll be playing a lot of cricket together. Keeping everyone assured and secure, and making sure everything is fair within the team, helps build trust.
Creating an environment where everyone feels free to express themselves and be who they are — embracing different cultures and getting along with everyone — is crucial in a professional environment. It’s also important to be respectful of everyone’s nature and how they play cricket. Everyone has their own style, and turning that into strength for the team is key.
In terms of communication on the field and with the coaches, has language ever been a barrier for cricketers at any level, whether you’re playing club cricket in the USA or for the national team here?
No, I think all this franchise cricket helps a lot in bringing multicultural people together. A lot of the franchise cricket I play abroad embraces this, especially when I speak about my culture, say, Indian culture. They try to learn about it and also try to communicate. It’s sometimes very hard to change in a jiffy or in one day, especially when people expect you to speak in English. But there are people from different backgrounds who have played cricket for 20 or 25 years with a certain group, so naturally, they revert to their own language.
It’s not that anyone is doing this purposely. But, especially when you’re in a team, you want to speak a language that everyone understands. However, when you’re out on the field, and let’s say the bowler understands the language of the fielder but the batsman doesn’t, that language can become a strength. You’re able to communicate and share a little bit of insight, like, ‘Okay, the batsman will do this or that. Try not to bowl in those areas,’ and share a few secrets, but it’s only between you and the fielder.
That becomes a strength of the team, I believe. And, at times, if you’re speaking in your own language, there are people in the team who will respectfully guide you, saying, ‘Guys, I don’t understand. Can you speak in a language we all understand?’ So, in a very healthy environment, this is very easily manageable.
But I believe that if you start imposing something on players or in any professional environment, like an office, then there will always be a rule break. However, if there’s no imposition and the atmosphere is light, and you are communicative with people.
I’m thinking of an analogy: Rishabh Pant keeping wickets to Ravichandran Ashwin or Jadeja, and then Monank Patel, the USA captain, or Andries Gous keeping wickets to Harmeet. The communication between you and Monank, where he might say, ‘You know what? Bowl on the leg side,’ would be something interesting for you to adapt to, right?
Yeah, it’s key. Well, let’s say we play against Scotland and they don’t understand the language. In that case, it becomes a strength where we can communicate in a language that not everybody needs to understand—it’s just between me and Monank, or me and someone else who understands.
And especially, let’s say my bowling partner is a spinner and I need to communicate something. Both of my bowling partners, Yasir and Nosthush, understand Hindi, so if I need to give a detailed instruction to him while two Scottish players are batting, and I feel that something’s going to happen or he can make this field change or it’s like adjustments that could help the team. That becomes a strength.
So, diversity works in our favor. And that’s the best part of our team. When we face a hurdle, we all switch to English because everyone needs to understand what’s going on, what’s the plan, and where we’re going forward.
FILE PHOTO: USA’s Aaron Jones (L) and USA’s Harmeet Singh (R) look on during the ICC men’s Twenty20 World Cup 2024 Super Eight cricket match between USA and West Indies at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. | Photo Credit: AFP
You’ve experienced a lot of success as well as setbacks, both on and off the field. Now, moving forward, with all the experiences you’ve gained, how do you mentally prepare yourself for each game? Also, I wanted to touch upon the academy you’re running in Texas. How do you incorporate the lessons you’ve learned from your successes and setbacks, both as a player for the US national team and as a coach for your students?
I think I was a young prodigy in India. I got success very early, and my graph was on the rise. Then, I had a setback where it dropped suddenly to zero, and I had to start from scratch again. So, the incline, of course, taught me that I wanted to play cricket at the highest level.
But the decline, when I was down and out, and when I had the fear of possibly losing the game, made me realize that I love this game more than just playing at the highest level. Playing cricket, in general, was important, not just where I was playing it.
If you gave me an option where you want to play for India or you don’t want to play cricket… Or if you don’t play for India, then you’ll be able to play cricket all your life. I would choose to play cricket for life. I would choose cricket over not playing at all. But the idea of not playing cricket, that’s not an option for me.
So, my love for the game was more about playing cricket itself, not necessarily where I was playing. And when I had that downfall, I realized that even playing club cricket gives me so much more joy than playing for the national team. Of course, playing for the national team gives you immense joy, and a little joy is better than no joy, right?
For me, playing cricket gave me a lot of joy. I realized that after being in a slump for about four to six months, when I had to start playing club cricket again and climbed back up. The first few months were difficult. I thought, ‘I don’t belong here. I need to be playing higher-level cricket. I need to be playing in the Ranji Trophy or for India.’
But then, I soon realized that while I was crying about my situation, at least I was playing cricket. There was a time when I could have lost the game entirely. So, from that moment onwards, I told myself that if I’m playing cricket, that’s the best thing.
Whether I’m playing in Shivaji Park, Wankhede Stadium, Melbourne, or anywhere, I will enjoy this game and give my absolute best wherever I’m playing. It doesn’t matter where I play; I will give my best, even if it’s just club cricket here in America. When I go to the ground, I will give it my all. I will play to win, and I will work towards victory, not just be there for the sake of it.
That attitude helped me climb the ladder again and come to the US to cherish the opportunity I got, all because of cricket.
Coaching actually helped me learn a lot about my game, and it accelerated that process. I started coaching in Seattle for the first time, and once I began helping spinners, it refreshed my own basics. I started working on smaller aspects of my game again, and it helped improve my white-ball game and even my batting.
I always try to be a learner of the game, keeping myself updated with how the game is evolving. As for academy life, when I coach, I implement the new things I am learning—how the game is changing and how to make the kids mature faster. The game has changed a lot since I was growing up, and coaching methods have evolved too.
So, I always strive to avoid stagnation in my approach, whether it’s coaching or playing. That’s been the biggest learning for me.
I want you to put your coaching hat on for a moment. India lost to New Zealand 3-0, and that result came out of nowhere. It was totally unexpected. The downfall came against the left-arm spinners—Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel—who really did a number on India’s batsmen. In the subcontinent, we’ve always felt that our strength lies in our ability to play spin well.
As a left-arm spinner, tell the Sportstar readers, what is your assessment as far as what went wrong?
I think whatever has happened it was very recent. Up until Dhoni or Virat was captain, we dominated the home series, and no one came close. We were still playing spin decently well. The last home series we lost, I think, was against England, maybe in 2012, when Panesar and Swann came. These things do happen, but a 3-0 loss at home has never happened before.
I think our techniques were certainly challenged, and there were new additions to the team as well. What I felt was, again, our stalwarts—Virat and Rohit—were going through a lean patch. In the past, one of the two would at least guide us home, but that didn’t happen this time.
The bowling was fine. Our spinners did a fantastic job most of the time, and we did get New Zealand out, but our batting techniques were surely challenged. I don’t think the wickets were particularly bad either. We’ve played on worse turning tracks, I would say, back in the day when Sachin, Dravid, Laxman, and all those guys played against Shane Warne and Muralitharan at home. We played on much more turning tracks, and they would still score runs and win games.
Virat and Rohit have also played on much tougher turning tracks. As for Virat, I don’t know, he’s been off lately and has been getting out a lot to spin. But he’s been a fantastic player of spin, one of the best, I would say. He’s been very good against spin throughout his career.
It might just be a phase that he’s going through, and hopefully, he gets back to form and starts delivering again, especially in Australia, which has been his favorite place to play. It’s high time we make a strong comeback as a team, and I am hopeful that Australia will be a statement for us.
The use of the crease, especially when a left-arm bowler is bowling around the wicket, is something I’ve noticed you use very intelligently. Do you think that, when you’re bowling left-arm around the wicket to a right-handed batsman, and the ball is turning away from them, you are relying on your slip fielder or perhaps a short gully to get that outside edge? We’ve seen many Indian batters get out in that way.
So my question is: the problem seems to be more with the left-arm spinners rather than right-arm bowlers. Do you think it’s the angle that the Indian batsmen had trouble navigating, or was there something else?
Yeah, I think the left-arm spinner always creates that angle where the ball looks like it’s drifting in and sliding on, and then it spins a little bit. So that’s always been the disguise, and it causes a lot of trouble on turning tracks.
But, what I feel is that the attitude to play more balls, to survive, rather than going for a hard defence, softer bottom hand, the use of the sweep shot, wrist play, and good footwork—especially back foot play—all of these technical aspects were missing. Mentally, I feel the attitude should either be to survive or to counter-attack; one of the two needs to be there.
Both were missing. We got out mostly while defending, with balls getting caught in the slips where our hands were too hard, and the ball was carrying to slip. On a turning track, the wicket is usually slow. So, if you keep a soft bottom hand and play close to your body, the ball doesn’t carry to slip. But it seemed like we were going too hard at the ball.
And also, we had left-handers in the lineup like Yashasvi who were not that successful. Rishabh Pant was successful, but then you need someone to back him up. Even Jadeja was there, and he wasn’t that successful with the bat, although he was fantastic with the ball.
But again, we need either the left-hand batters to take the left-arm spinner out of the attack or for the right-hand batters to show a solid defence or counter-attack. Once they take the spells away and then you get into an eased out spell with a fast bowler on those tracks and when they take a break you start scoring. This is how guys like Pujara or Dravid would do it—waiting for the bowlers to tire, and then they’d start scoring runs.
However, we were found in the middle, trying to defend and score runs at the same time, which didn’t quite work. I think we really need to look into how we want to play our cricket at home. Either we need to attack or have the instinct to survive and grind it out for the team, picking those moments to play out balls and then score runs.
The roles looked very unclear, I feel. Who wants to play those balls for the team? And because on a turning track when the ball is hard, it spins sharp. So if someone played some balls and made the ball older, the ball would’ve gotten slower and softer and then we could’ve scored runs also. I feel we didn’t apply these aspects effectively.
FILE PHOTO: USA’s Harmeet Singh plays a shot during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup cricket match between India and United States of America at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Westbury. | Photo Credit: DEEPAK KR
Harmeet, you were in Namibia when you received the news that your father had passed away in Mumbai, and that must have been incredibly hard, especially being on tour at the time. I also know that when you lost your mother, you weren’t able to be in India for the last rites due to the COVID situation.
How did you manage to put yourself back together and continue playing in Namibia after such a difficult time?
When the call came, I didn’t know what to do. It was very sudden and unexpected. In my mind, I was reassured that my family was in India, and I was just focusing on the game I had to play the next day. But then when the call came, having already lost my mom in 2021, I knew it wasn’t far off, and I hadn’t really recovered from that loss. Then this happened with my dad.
My first thought was that at least for one parent, I wanted to be there for the last rites. So I immediately looked up flights to see if I could make it. There was a flight available, and when I told the board, I made it clear that I needed to go. As much as I knew my dad wanted me to play, I felt it was important to be there, especially because I wasn’t there for my mom. I told them I would most likely return for the T20s since there were still five or six days before they were due to start.
I went back and did the rituals, which was the toughest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I hadn’t faced it when my mom passed because I wasn’t there, so doing it for the first time and witnessing it was beyond words. But the one thing that always stays with me is that my dad was my biggest cheerleader. He always wanted me to play and reach the top, so I knew I had the responsibility to come back and not let this opportunity slip away. He wanted to see me here, and I’m glad he got to see me play in the World Cup and perform well there. Now, I feel that both my parents are blessing me from wherever they are, and I can perform and give my best whenever I go out to play.
Coming back to Namibia was very tough, but the support from my teammates was incredible. I played my first game, and it was one of the best spells I’ve bowled this year. It was so hard to step back onto the field, but I didn’t show any emotion at that point. I played several games after my dad passed away—four games in Namibia, and then I flew straight to Atlanta to play a tournament for five weeks. After that, I came home for just one day.
Coming home was very emotional. I saw my wife, my kids, my chacha and chachi from India, and my dad’s younger brother. It was very tough for them, too, because they couldn’t go back immediately. They had flown the same night from India to America when my dad passed away, and they only found out 24 hours later when they landed. It was a difficult time for the family.
My chacha, especially, played a big role in allowing me to be here. He took care of the finances for me and my dad when I wasn’t around, especially after my mom passed away, when my dad needed physical help. He was there to help with everything—whether it was financial or just being there as family. He really supported me so I could continue pursuing my cricket here. But when this happened, he couldn’t be there, and it was tough for him too.
For the family, not being able to see their grandkids was also very hard. But at least my dad saw what he could. I just hope they’re both in a better place now.
Now, regarding the coaching change in the U.S. cricket team, there have been some recent changes, and I’m curious how the team is adapting to this shift, especially considering that some of it has occurred under unfortunate circumstances. Could you shed some light on that?
I think there have been a lot of things going on. For me, I joined the team in April, so in the first two or three series, I was just trying to make my mark, earn my spot in the team, and do well for the team.
But then, slowly, as you start meeting teammates, talking to people, and spending more time with the team, you get to know everyone better. The same happened with the coaching staff and everything that followed. A lot of players were in disagreement with certain things happening in the team—things that don’t typically happen in a professional environment.
Without going into too much detail, I’ll say this: Having played for different franchises and grown up in one of the most diverse cities in the world, I’ve been exposed to different cultures and people. So when you see things like discrimination or favoritism—anything that doesn’t belong in a professional setup—you can pick it up. We’re not 17, 18, or 19-year-old kids who haven’t seen much of the world. We’ve been playing cricket for a long time, and we’ve been in different environments.
Speaking for myself, I noticed things happening, and they were addressed. Yes, you can argue about the timing, but as players, the timing wasn’t in our hands—it was in the hands of the board, and they made the decision. As players, we just wanted an environment where we could express ourselves freely and give our best for the country.
At least now, we’re in a place where we can give our absolute best. Yes, we still face losses, but we’re out for 8 to 10 months a year, playing and giving everything we can, often away from our families. To do that, we need to be in a good mental space. If mentally we’re happy and united, then things become much easier. But when we’re mentally drained, and our thoughts aren’t aligned, those 8 to 10 months can feel very long.
Now that the decision has been made, I believe it’s for the betterment of the team. I hope this will lead to bigger accomplishments for USA cricket in the future.
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You are primarily known as a left-arm spinner, but have also made a name for yourself with the bat. Tell us more about Harmeet Singh, the batter, because you’ve shown you can hit some lusty blows with the bat.
Back in the day, when I was playing age-group cricket for Mumbai, I was always an all-rounder. Even in school, I used to bat a lot and score runs—hundreds, in fact. But as you grow and the focus on sports narrows, all-rounders weren’t always as highly cherished, though they were still valued. If you weren’t a serious all-rounder, you’d mostly be considered a bowler who could contribute with the bat at the back end.
When I got into the Ranji Trophy, Mumbai’s batting lineup was always stacked, so I hardly got to bat. When we were 400 for 7 or 8, I would sometimes get a chance to go out and try to hit a few. But most of the time, I couldn’t get the kind of performances I wanted. My focus then shifted more towards bowling because I was enjoying it and receiving a lot of praise for my bowling. It felt like my primary skill.
As time went on, especially when I was on the decline with my bowling, I started working more on my batting. I had always scored a lot of runs in club cricket—which I played for eight years in Mumbai—but it was when I moved to Tripura that things started clicking. I scored a few 50s and even a first-class hundred for them. That was when I really started to believe in my ability as a batsman. If I could score a hundred on seeming tracks, I knew I had the potential to bat at the First-Class level.
When I moved to America, the focus shifted to white-ball cricket. We needed power hitting, we needed big shots, and I began working a lot on my T20 game. I’ve always had a bit of a natural gift for power hitting, something I didn’t use as much in India due to the focus on red-ball cricket. But when I came here, I made it a point to work on clearing the boundary consistently. I hit a lot of sixes in practice, and eventually, it started flowing naturally in the games.
The Minor League was very good for me with the bat, and I had a few solid stints in the Major League as well. Since I started playing for the USA, my first series with the bat was good, the second one was solid, and the World Cup went well too. I had a decent run with the bat against the Netherlands and Namibia. But with the ball, I was quite effective in both series. More recently, I did well against Nepal and Scotland with both bat and ball.
So, I’d say I’ve been lucky enough to get opportunities with the bat, and I’ve worked hard to improve it. I’ve really been enjoying my batting, especially in my white-ball career, and I hope to continue this form and become an asset for the team.
You are the only USA player who has been selected for the Global Super League, which is set to be played in Guyana in the West Indies starting this November. Could you tell us more about the league and how it feels to be playing in Guyana as a professional cricketer?
I think for me, when I got the offer and heard about the teams, it felt similar to how India had the Champions League. I was excited and thought, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’ Before that, I had also received an offer for the Nepal League, so I was contemplating where I should go.
Eventually, I felt that this league would be more competitive for me, and I would be challenged more as a cricketer because of the calibre of players involved. Also, Guyana, being the heart of West Indies cricket, has a passionate cricket culture, and they love their game. While Nepal also has a strong cricketing culture, I think Guyana will have packed houses for most games, which will make it an incredible experience to play against some of the best players in the world. And that’s exactly what I want—to test myself against the best.
When you get the opportunity to play with and against the best, you definitely want to seize it. Mickey Arthur is the coach over there, and I’m really excited to work with him for the first time. He’s a legendary coach and a big figure in the cricketing world. I’m looking forward to soaking in as much as I can from this experience and learning everything I can in that setup. I think it will be crucial for my growth.
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If we fast forward two years and then four years, there are two major events coming up for both USA cricket and world cricket. In 2026, we have the ICC World Cup in India, and in 2028, cricket will be introduced for the first time at the Los Angeles Olympics.
Given these two landmark events, where do you see yourself in the next few years—not just as a player, but perhaps in a coaching capacity, contributing to the growth of cricket in the USA?
I think the Olympics coming to the U.S. is one of the biggest things that could happen, not just for America but also for American cricket. If I take it one step at a time, right now I’m focusing on the 2026 T20 World Cup in India, and then we are aiming to qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Looking ahead to the 2028 Olympics, I think the next three to four years of my life will be crucial. I need to stay fit and motivated enough to perform wherever I go. With the Olympics being a home event, it feels like the icing on the cake. Playing in the Olympics would be an incredible achievement—after that, you’ll always be called an Olympian, and that’s a huge honor for any athlete.
Representing the USA on that stage would be the best thing ever in my cricketing career. I’m really looking forward to it and hoping I can make it and contribute to the team. Hopefully, everything goes as planned. If I manage to accomplish all three goals—the 2026 World Cup, the 2027 World Cup, and the 2028 Olympics—it would be the ultimate achievement for me.
Fast-forwarding to the future of USA cricket, if you can envision it five or ten years from now, perhaps at a time when you’ve retired from professional cricket, what do you see the landscape of USA cricket looking like down the road?
We could become a replica of what Australia is in terms of infrastructure and the overall development of the sport. If we are able to build stadiums and facilities similar to what Australia has, we could become one of the top cricketing nations. Infrastructure is key to developing athletes.
Once you have the right infrastructure in place, with the right people to run the programs and scholarships for athletes, why wouldn’t any kid in America take up cricket? I truly believe that if we focus on building the infrastructure over the next five years, that period will be pivotal for the growth of American cricket. From there, we will be unstoppable as a nation.
Any final thoughts you’d like to share with your fans and followers?
Yeah, I’ve been really enjoying my cricket, but I think the best part of being a USA cricket player is the potential to have something for all domestic players—a league beyond the Major League and Minor League. We need a year-round domestic structure where players can perform and earn spots in the team, whether for youth or adult categories.
If we have that kind of league, we’ll be able to identify which players are in form and who we can pick. Right now, it’s difficult to make selections because of the lack of statistics, tournaments, and games for players. We mainly rely on Major League, Minor League, or a little bit of national stats, but that’s not enough. I think it’s crucial that we integrate such a structure into the setup. Once we have that in place, I believe we’ll be on the right track.
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T20 World Cup 2024 /
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