Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer came to Yuvraj Singh’s defence after the latter recently opened up on his retirement. Yuvraj, who received Player of the Tournament at the 2011 World Cup, was a vital part of the Indian national team setup. In a recent interview with Sports Tak, he recalled his retirement, claiming that he wasn’t given a direct message by then India captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri.
Yuvraj mentioned that he had to speak to long-term teammate MS Dhoni, who was still in the Indian team, and the CSK star gave him an honest reality check. The 44-year-old revealed that even the likes of Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag didn’t get any clarity.
‘Communication should be there’: Wasim Jaffer
Taking to X, Jaffer, a former teammate of Yuvraj, urged the Indian team management and the BCCI to improve communication. He wrote, “Earlier players used to find out in newspapers if their career is over or not, although things have gotten better in terms of communication still if a big player like @YUVSTRONG12 who’s won India two WC says he wasn’t communicated then that’s not right. Communication should be there. #Indiancricket”
Yuvraj claimed he spoke to Dhoni on the phone, and Dhoni said he was not in the running for the 2019 World Cup. He was told to pass the fitness test and the selection panel, but leadership expected him to fail it. He was told that he should retire if he fails the test. He passed the test but didn’t return to contention and missed out on a spot on the 2019 World Cup squad.
Yuvraj was a member of the Indian cricket team in ODIs from 2000 to 2018. He was also vice-captain of the ODI team between 2007 and 2008. During the 2011 World Cup, he became the first player to register a five-wicket haul and a fifty in the same WC match. He registered 363 runs in nine matches in the tournament and took 15 wickets as India beat Sri Lanka in the final. He is also known for hitting six sixes in one over against Stuart Broad during the 2007 World T20.
He last represented India in June 2017 against the West Indies and announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket in 2019. A left-handed batter, Yuvraj was also handy with the ball, bowling left-arm orthodox spin. He improved his bowling skill set in the latter part of his career, and it was well reflected in 2011.
