Spinners will have pivotal role in World Cup, says Harbhajan

JALANDHAR: Harbhajan Singh on Monday predicted a significant role for slow bowlers in the World Cup to be held next year in the Caribbean where he said the pitches had become spinner-friendly.

"During our tour of the Caribbean, most of the pitches were slow and especially in the Test series, during the second innings the ball kept low and ultimately the batsmen were beaten," he said on Monday.

"Wickets in West Indies were similar to those in the Asian countries like India and Sri Lanka, which helped us in understanding its nature early," he said adding the team's experience would come handy in World Cup.

Harbhajan admitted that the fast bowlers in the team played a crucial role in the team's 1-0 Test series triumph.

"The fast bowlers contributed to the success of spinners in the last two matches by their early breakthroughs which left less pressure on the spinners," he added.

Commenting on the tour, he said although the ODI series was quite disappointing, ultimately the team came back strongly in the Tests.

"Lara's able captaincy was the key to West Indies success in ODI series. Although we started in a very good rhythm, later on West Indies overtook us which yielded results in their favour."