Gilchrist lost his mental stability: Bhajji

New Delhi: In a strong counter attack, Harbhajan Singh on Sunday lashed out at Adam Gilchrist, saying the retired Australian has lost his mental stability if he thought he had chickened out of any Test because of the nature of the pitch.

"Frankly, I think he has lost it (the stability of mind). Is it an honest comment about me? Even my bitterest critics have never accused me of chickening out of a contest," said Harbhajan over phone from his residence in Jalandhar where he is mourning the death of his maternal grandfather with his family.

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Gilchrist, in his autobiography "True Colours" has said that Harbhajan had pulled out of the Nagpur Test of the 2004-05 series at the sight of the green wicket on offer. "Harbhajan was out of Nagpur Test with a 'flu', which he seemed to have contracted when he saw the grassy wicket," Gilchrist has written in his book.

"If this is how he feels, if this is the only way for him to sell his book, well good luck to him. I would have thought earning the respect of his peers ought to have been his priority," a peeved Harbhajan told PTI.

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"My only advice to Gilchrist is: please stick to your own mates if selling book alone is his priority. I am sure there would be lot more for him to bare. And all of it would be genuine rather than cooked-up facts," he said.

The fiesty off-spinner sought to rip apart the cloak of integrity and honesty, which Gilchrist has covered himself with, further drummed up by Australian media who have accorded sanctity to it, passing it around as truth.