Interview with Yuvraj Singh: "Passion for cricket has always been my driving force, not selection"
It's been exactly 448 days since Puma athlete Yuvraj Singh last donned the Indian tri-colour in an official international match. However, after splendid domestic performances including a match winning 98 for Punjab in the Vijay Hazare Trophy yesterday, he has found his place back in the national T-20 squad against Australia.
Several pundits questioned the 34-year old's exclusion for the South Africa series as he had excelled, during the initial Ranji Trophy group phase. The stand-out performance came against Gujarat, as he amassed a total of 187 runs.
With about three months to for the 2016 T-20 World Cup, Yuvraj's peak form has come at the right time. Hours prior to the selection, the ‘big match’ performer spoke exclusively to Sportskeeda about his comeback chances, difference in training regime post illness and the domestic players to watch out for in the near future.
Excerpts:
Q. Sources suggest that there are high chances of your inclusion in the T-20 squad for the Australia tour, what are your thoughts about the selection?
Honestly, cricket is my passion and I play cricket because I love the game. My goal is to always enjoy and keep playing the sport. As I have always said that I let my bat do the talking. If I make it or not it's upto the selectors. But, if I do get selected it would make me happy as everyone would like to keep representing their country. My drive is the passion involved within the game.
Q. You played match winning knock for Punjab yesterday, what are your thoughts about the team's chances in the tournament?
Both me and Harbhajan Singh have been in and out of the Punjab setup, because of our international duties before. However, we are really determined to win something before we end out career. We know what we are today is because of Punjab cricket, so we are looking forward to progressing further and eventually, hopefully winning the tournament.
Q. Since you did bring up the topic of retirement, do you think it's on the cards anytime soon?
As I stated before, as long as I keep loving the game and my body doesn't give up I will keep playing. The sport and my body are the driving factors.
Q. Post your illness, did you ever have moments of doubt whether you would make the comeback from a physical point of view?
Definitely! I lost 50 % of my lung capacity. So I basically had get back to being a sportsperson first. Put in the hours, to work on my fitness. Concentrate a lot more on cardio to bring back my stamina to normalcy. Apart from that, I worked extensively on my agility. Now I make it a point, to put in more hours for running as I have to work harder to maintain it.
Q. As a cricketer your greatest knocks have come when the team was under pressure. How do you think you thrived during those situations?
I always liked batting under pressure because it always brought the best out of me. It was never that I specifically prepared for those situations. But some how I used to give me 110 percent, during that time. My goal was to always do what the team needed me to, and whenever I was in those situations, I used to thrive. But, not always!
Q. Since you have played against several of the Ranji teams this season, who do you think can make it to the Indian team in the near future?
There are several actually, Shreyas Iyer, he is a great talent and he has already scored 930 runs. He is also the top run getter. Then we have Mandeep Singh from Punjab, he has also had some great performances till now. We also have Nathu Singh, he is someone who has a very unique style, he can do very well. Dhawal Kulkarni, he has been in and out of the national team, but he also has a good chance, considering his performances. Even Sheldon Jackson from Saurashtra is a very good player.
I haven't seen any good spinners yet, so nothing from that side.
?Q. As a constant in Indian cricket’s hierarchy in the past decade, you have made several transisitions. For example from junior to senior cricket, but which according to you has been the most difficult?
I would say it was a particular time rather that I really struggled was in Test cricket. I used to play one Test and then be out of the team, and return to domestic cricket. So I used to play one series, then play domestic Test cricket for four to five years before returning to the squad. This was my most difficult period.
Q. Which is your most favourite personal knock till date?
It has to be the 57 that I scored against Australia in the 2011 quarter-final. The team was under pressure, and I managed to play the knock of my life. We then progressed to the semi-final, then final and eventually won the tournament. That was very special for me.
Q. Any bowler that you though was very unpredictable while playing them at the international level?
Thankfully I don't have to face them anymore as they have retired. Muttiah Muralitharan and Glenn McGrath.