Yuvraj Singh bats for a players' association, says cricketers need more support
What’s the story?
Former Indian cricketer, Yuvraj Singh has called for a players’ association for Indian cricketers, opining that the players’ voice has never been heard properly in India.
In case you didn’t know...
India and Pakistan are the only countries to not have a fully functional players’ association, with all other cricket-playing nations having developed the same.
Moreover, the players and the lack of awareness towards their mental health has been highlighted recently, especially after Australian all-rounder, Glenn Maxwell took an indefinite break from the sport.
The heart of the matter
Yuvraj, who bid adieu to international cricket in June, recently claimed that there had been instances in India where players had to unwillingly play cricket despite them not wanting to, citing that they did so for a fear of being ‘thrown out’ of the side. He further elaborated,
What I would like to see is a players' association coming up because I think the player's voice was never heard before. So I think a players' association that all other countries have, we should also have. We deserve it because there are a lot of times we have been asked to play cricket that we don't want to. We have to play with the pressure that if we don't play we will be thrown out.
He also talked about how there exists a fear in the Indian cricketing circuit where they are unable to take a break due to fatigue or exhaustion, both mental and physical. Furthermore, he said that in India, players aren’t able to do so because there is a lot of pressure placed upon them, including trepidation that they might lose their place.
On the support he feels the current players should get, he opined,
The current players need more [support]. Somebody has to stand up and give them the players association. I don't know who's going to do that, but definitely that's something I would like to see happening for the players. Every voice should be heard in players' association, not only captain or vice-captain or senior players. Every player should be asked about their opinions.
Having said that though, Yuvraj was optimistic that a solution could be arrived at in the near future, especially with Sourav Ganguly at the BCCI helm.
Speaking about his former skipper, the all-rounder quipped that Ganguly’s modus operandi would be different to what would’ve been adopted by a pure administrator without international cricketing experience. Thus, he hoped that the players’ voices would be taken into consideration a lot more than previously.
What’s next?
The BCCI had lately given the nod to an Indian Cricketers Association, which was meant to cater to retired players. However, with a contemporary player of the ilk of Yuvraj citing such concerns, it would be interesting to see if the nation’s apex cricketing body adheres to his advice and works towards a players’ association for active cricketers.
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