Yuvraj Singh was an Indian great over the course of a long 17-year career, winning player of the tournament at the 2011 World Cup and creating countless memories for Indian fans. But nearly a decade on from when he last represented the national team, the swashbuckling southpaw revealed that he was unceremoniously removed from the team, not receiving any ‘clarity’ about his standing within it.
Yuvraj played his last white-ball games for India in 2017, but was moved on as India began their setup for the 2019 World Cup still to come. Speaking to Sports Tak in an interview, Yuvraj revealed that he was one of a certain generation of Indian stars who were left in the lurch with no message or support at the end of their careers.
In particular, Yuvraj mentioned that captain and coach duo Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri didn’t serve him the courtesy of informing him of their plans, forcing him to turn to long-term teammate MS Dhoni instead,
“I did not get the clarity. Zaheer, Harbhajan, and Virender Sehwag, none of them got the clarity. As far as I am concerned, I had no clarity,” he explained. “No clarity from the National Cricket Academy. No clarity from the captain (Virat Kohli) and coach (Ravi Shastri). I was stuck. I was 36. ‘What do I do?’. I played so much, I thought I should be given some respect,” Yuvraj told Sports Tak.
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Clarity gained via MS Dhoni
When he reached out to Dhoni, who had served with him in the Indian team over a decade and won a pair of ICC events alongside, he received the news that allowed him to understand his exact position in the team – that is to say, that he had none.
“I spoke to MS Dhoni. I spoke to him on the phone. He gave me the perspective that I am not in the running for the 2019 World Cup,” revealed Yubraj. “He wasn’t the captain. He had nothing to lose or gain. From there, I gained clarity.”
Yuvraj would have been approaching his 39th birthday if he did made it to the 2019 World Cup, and the decision might well have been the right one given Yuvi’s near two decades in the team. However, he revealed that his unceremonious dismissal was predicated on the assumption that he wouldn’t meet the ICT’s exacting physical standards that were in place.
Yuvraj forced the BCCI to make decision
He took it upon himself to pass that test, and force the question of the selection panel and leadership at that time.
“I was told you won’t be able to pass the fitness test, so you should take retirement,” said Yuvraj. “I told them that my decision to retire is mine. I passed the fitness test, so I told them you decide whether to play me or not.”
Yuvraj’s rare series in 2017 was an island, having last been in the Indian ODI team for a stretch in 2013. With India’s new generation coming in, he didn’t make the cut for the semifinal run in 2019. But given how faithful and important a servant to the Indian game he was for the first 15 years of the millennium, there is no doubt that he should have been afforded greater intimation of his position.
