Former cricketers back Yuvraj as a match winner

Mumbai : Has Yuvraj Singh played his last game in India colours or is there more fire left in the belly of the man known for his heroic comebacks? His painstaking 11 off 21 balls on Sunday night in Mirupur killed India’s momentum and the team finished with a below par total of 130/4 which Sri Lanka chased down with 13 balls to spare. The aggressive left hander came under heavy criticism from fans and was even a victim of hate and abuse on social media.

His house was not spared either as livid fans pelted stones into his house. The hero of India’s maiden T20 and World Cup triumphs in 2007 and 2011 seems to be struggling now, but experts reckon Yuvraj is still the match winner India needs. “It can happen to the best of cricketers. It is unfortunate that it happened in a World Cup final, but Yuvraj is still a match winner,” asserted former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar at whose academy Yuvraj first trained as a 15 year old.

In the five innings in World T20 in Bangladesh, Yuvraj aggregated 100 from 102 balls at the average of 20.00. He hit a stroke filled 60 against Australia showing glimpses of vintage form, but struggled again against South Africa in the semi final scoring 18. Former India player Mohammad Kaif, whose house was attacked with black paints post the 2003 World Cup, said fans should control their emotions. “It is definitely disturbing when your house is attacked and you need some time to overcome the trauma. However, Yuvraj is an experienced player and I am sure he will be able to tackle this.

“Fans should understand that he has had health issues and it is never easy to make a comeback. We must not show such extreme reactions,” remarked Kaif. Lalchand Rajput, India ‘A’ coach backed Yuvraj to bounce back. “He has done so well for us in the past and he scored a wonderful half century against Australia. It is not right to target him on the basis of one poor outing.”

Former chief selector Kiran More felt that credit must be given to Sri Lanka for the way they fought. “We had a wonderful tournament and the only match we lost was the final. Sri Lanka played well and their bowlers won them the game and we must give them the credit they deserve.”