Have the selectors given Yuvraj a chance in the wrong format?

An out-of-sorts Yuvraj Singh in 2014

Cricket is a sport which never flows in one direction, it’s always up and down. You never know which way it is going to go. Heroes and villains are born so frequently. Take the case of Yuvraj Singh. The man who was responsible for India's triumph in the 2011 World Cup was also the reason why India's last T20 World Cup ended in agony, in the final, thanks to his slow innings, which sucked the momentum out of the Indian innings.

18 months after that, Yuvraj is supposed to be India’s saviour in the shortest format. The selectors have once again taken a huge gamble by selecting him in the T20 format. Although he hasn’t been included in the World T20 squad, you get the sense that it is only a matter of time.

While there is some cricketing reason for including him in the upcoming World Cup, there was none prioir to the 2014 tournament, where he was selected because of past glories, few days after Royal challengers Bangalore brought him for a whopping 14 Crores. That decision cost India a World Cup.

Before 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, he scored three centuries on the trot to earn a recall. But the selectors made the wrong call by picking the unfit Ravindra jadeja to the experienced and in-form Yuvraj. Although that didn’t cost India the World Cup, it meant when they were up against it in the semi-final, they didn’t have an experienced head to call upon.

So why has he suddenly been called back to the squad? And why has he been selected just for the T20Is? While both questions can only be answered by the selectors, here are few problems Yuvraj is going to face, before the first match at Adelaide Oval.

The primary thing is the expectation on the southpaw from the selectors and fans due to his explosive form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. But one has to understand that the wickets in Australia are completely different to the wickets Yuvraj faces currently. The bounce and pace off the pitch down-under will be much more than the wickets in Bangalore and Hyderabad, where he has been playing.

Secondly, it is simply too much to expect from a batsman, who last played in Australia at the famous CB series win in 2008. In the seven years since then, Yuvraj has had a rollercoaster ride. He was troubled by the pace and bounce last time when he visited Australia.

If the Yuvraj of 2008 can’t do it, how can we expect him to perform straight away? At least, if he was picked in the ODIs, his confidence could have been increased, by the time the T20Is come around. After all, here is a player who needs more game time in the middle to perform.

Right choice but wrong format?

Thirdly, Yuvraj himself worried by the true fact that he is not selected in ODI’s. "To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed that I am back only in the T20I squad, not for the ODIs. However, there's happiness that I'm back after quite a while. The disappointment is personal and I hope I'm not misunderstood and that nothing at all is taken out of context." he said.

The disappointment he shows is crystal clear. Instead of being given time to settle, the selectors are again putting the 34-year-old in an do-or-die situation. Everybody knows that he is a kind of batsman who likes to face few deliveries at top. Once he gets his eye in, he will play all kind of shots, but T20 is never a format to settle.

If guys like Shikhar Dhawan and Stuart Binny, despite constantly failing in all formats, still get a chance, why are the selectors demanding more from the veteran batsman? Assuming that the selection was based on recent form, why was Yuvraj not brought into the ODI squad, where his recent form in the domestic Vijay Hazare Trophy has been far better?

While it is a bitter pill to swallow, the fact is that Yuvraj Singh of 2015 is no longer the player from 2007 who could step up and smash sixes for fun. He still has an explosive array of shots but now requires some time to settle in - the T20 format unfortunately does not afford him that luxury.

India will play seven T20Is including the Asia cup, before their first match against New Zealand on March 15. Chief Selector Sandeep Patil said the southpaw “has been special the captain is happy to have him back.” While there have been no guarantees, this is an oppportunity.

This is not a chance, this is a lifeline for Yuvi, either perform in Australia to earn a spot or perish.