Not very long ago, a lot of fingers were raised on his fitness, form and commitment, but Yuvraj Singh silenced his critics with his all round performance in the World Cup. Not only did India win the World Cup, the southpaw went on to bag the man-of-the-tournament award and that catapulted him into an iconic stature once again.
But this time, Yuvraj is treading this tricky turf cautiously, for he knows that fame and fortune chases success and a player is a hero only till the time he performs on the field.
In an interview to Saurav Pradhan of Indian Sports News, the Pune Warriors skipper talks about his life after the World Cup, Team Pune Warriors and India’s new coach Duncan Fletcher. Excerpts:
ISN: Prior to the World Cup, a lot of questions were raised on your fitness and form. You had a tough time with your injuries. But things have changed drastically after the WC. How has the journey been since then?
Yuvraj: It has been amazing. You have good times and you have bad times. I have seen it both. People forget about your past performances. You are a star only till the time you perform. And media too played its part in making me realize this. Instead of supporting me in getting out of that phase, they just focused on the negative aspects. Last year was too bad for me. The injuries were serious and I did a lot of hard work to recover from that. I was treated by Dr Jatin and that really helped in my recovery. Infact Sania Mirza was also going through the same problem and she also underwent the same treatment. I believe that my self belief and the treatment by Dr Jatin paid off well.
ISN: Now Duncan Fletcher has taken the place of Gary Kristen. What are your expectations from the new coach?
Yuvraj: Gary was brilliant. Thanks to him, Indian cricket has reached a new high. He played a big role in our success. Fletcher is also known for his coaching abilities. He comes with a great record, having coached international teams and international players. So I am looking forward to meeting up with him when I get the opportunity. I do believe that Fletcher will take India cricket to greater heights.
ISN: What are your future plans?
Yuvraj: My dream was to win the World Cup for India. By God’s grace, that has been fulfilled. Now, my only aim is to play concentrate on my game. I just want to keep improving and keep playing for the country till the time I can.
ISN: Are you looking forward to play in the Test match?
Yuvraj: Who wouldn’t? Every cricketer is proud of Test runs because at the end of the career one’s success as a player is known by how many runs he scored or wickets he took in Tests. I want to be a permanent member of the Test side and win matches for India. That’s the ultimate thing for a cricketer and I do hope of making it to the Test side soon.
ISN: You will be the most experienced player in the Indian team touring West Indies shortly. What’s your opinion about the youngsters in the team?
Yuvraj: Young players like Rohit Sharma, S.Badrinath are very talented. I am hopeful that these youngsters will perform well against the Carribeans.
ISN: What do you have to say about Pune Warrior’s performance in the IPL?
Yuvraj: This was our first season as a team and hopefully we will do better in the next edition. We could not click as a bunch, besides we were hampered by some injuries to key players like Ashish Nehra and Angelo Mathews.
ISN: Tell us something about Rahul Sharma. He has been a revelation under you in IPL 4?
Yuvraj: He has done very well in IPL and has a bright future. If he keeps on performing the way he is doing for Pune Warriors in the IPL, he might find a place in India One Day side soon. He has already taken more than 15 wickets in the tournament so far. He is a bright candidate for one-dayers in the near future. But definitely due to his performance in the IPL, his chance of finding a permanent place in the Ranji Trophy has increased.
ISN: What do you have to say about Shane Warne who is going to play his last match of the IPL tomorrow?
Yuvraj: He is one of the greatest players of the world, but unfortunately he could never captain Australia. He is a genius and personally I have also benefited from some of his valuable tips.
ISN: What will be your message to young cricketers?
Yuvraj: Work hard, keep concentrating on your game and aim for the best. You will succeed for sure.
Indian Sports News Network
