Yuvraj Singh slams team management for handling him 'unprofessionally'
Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh yet again slammed the team management for handling him poorly towards the fag end of his career. In a recent conversation with Sportskeeda, Yuvraj revealed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should have given him a bit more respect. The 38-year-old announced retirement from all formats of the game in June last year.
I am not a legend, says Yuvraj Singh
"First of all, I don't think I'm a legend. I've played the game with integrity but I didn't play much Test cricket. Legendary players are those who have good Test records. For giving somebody a farewell, that's for BCCI to decide," said Yuvraj.
The team management was unprofessional: Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj asserted the team management was unprofessional throughout. "I just felt that the way they managed me towards the end of my career was very unprofessional. But looking back at some other greats like Harbhajan, Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, also very badly mismanaged. So it is part of Indian cricket, I had seen it in the past and I was not really surprised," said Yuvraj.
Yuvraj names players who were ignored by the team management
Yuvraj described how several veterans were snubbed by the management gradually. "Anybody who has played for India for a long time and has been through tough situations, you should definitely honor him," he stated. "Give him that respect, somebody like Gambhir, who has won two World Cups for us. Sehwag, who has been the biggest match-winner after Sunil Gavaskar in Tests."
A look at Yuvraj's international career
Over two years after his retirement, Yuvraj is still deemed as one of the greatest batsmen in white-ball cricket. He rose to prominence in the 2002 NatWest series final against England, that changed the dynamics of Indian cricket. Five years later, led helped India win the inaugural World T20. However, his contribution in India's 2011 World Cup campaign remains indispensable.
His record in international cricket
In a career spanning 17 years, Yuvraj aggregated 8,701 runs from 304 ODIs at an average of 36.55. He also made 40 Test appearances, having scored 1,900 runs at 33.92. Yuvraj was touted as a destructive batsman in the shortest format, wherein he amassed 1,177 runs at 28.02. Nevertheless, he will always be remembered for smashing 6 sixes in an over (World T20 2007).
BCCI has often received criticism for ignoring the legends
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has always been under the scanner for mishandling several legends. Post 2000, the likes of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, VVS Laxman and Zaheer Khan couldn't finish on a positive note. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar was a notable exception, who received a grand farewell in his final Test at Wankhede.
