Yuvraj Singh wanted to mentor Team India: MSK Prasad

Mumbai: India national team’s chief selector MSK Prasad revealed that Yuvraj Singh had decided to play the role of the mentor in the team, before he was selected for the ODIs and T20Is against England.

“I had a long, casual chat with him. He told me that he wanted to play the senior, mentor’s role in the Indian team. We thought that he still had the hunger to play. We saw that if given opportunity, he will definitely give it his best shot, along with mentoring the team as a senior player,” Prasad said to Times of India.

Read: I could have retired had it not been for Virat Kohli’s trust: Yuvraj Singh

While the selection was under pressure for picking Yuvraj in the India squad, the southpaw repaid the selectors for recalling him with a career-best ODI score of 150 against England in Cuttack to lead India to victory by 15 runs.

Read: Hazel Keech's emotional message for husband Yuvraj Singh after Cuttack ton

Prasad said he was a bit concerned about the middle order during India's 3-2 victory over New Zealand prompting the selectors to recall Yuvraj Singh after a lengthy absence of nearly four years from the 50-over game, but insisted it was not a gamble.

"All said and done we were a bit worried about the middle-order during the New Zealand ODI series. Now I am more confident, the way Kedar played and Yuvraj did. With the likes of (Ajinkya) Rahane, Manish (Pandey) and (Ambati) Rayudu in the reserves shows the kind of bench strength we have. I am absolutely confident now," he said.

"Yuvraj was definitely not a gamble. The five selectors earlier, and three now, had seen him do exceptionally well in the domestic circuit. Some one who can get a 260 and a 180 shows the ability and the hunger he has. I had no doubts that he is working hard to make a comeback. What else can a batsman do and with his ability," he wondered.