Yuvraj defeats cancer, ready to fire in World Twenty20

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Flamboyant all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, as widely expected, has been included in India's T20 squad for the upcoming home series against New Zealand and the ICC World Twenty20 2012 to be staged in Sri Lanka. He is returning to international cricket after having successfully battled against cancer.

It was really stunning to know, through media reports, that India’s selection committee, headed by Krishnamachari Srikkanth, debated it for a loge time to arrive at the decision of naming Yuvraj in the squad for ICC World Twenty20 in particular. 

Like any other cricket follower, I also found it astonishing about the opinion being divided on the recall of Yuvraj. It was being reported that the chief selector had no reservations about it but a few ‘worthy’ members of his panel had some other ideas. 

How on earth did they comprehend leaving out Yuvraj when he was declared fit? Obviously he would not have been considered if he was not fit enough. I think it was a shameful act having deliberated it over more than one session. 

Obviously as Yuvraj, who last played for India during the home Tests against West Indies, had indicated during his recovery from cancer, Twenty20 would be ideal format to mark his return to competitive cricket.

"We have picked the best possible Test team. We looked at the conditions (in Sri Lanka) for the World T20. We feel that we have picked a team that will win us the World Cup. We are very happy Yuvi (Yuvraj) has been declared fit. In 2011 World Cup, he was the Man of the Series. He is a crucial factor from India's point of view,” Srikkanth made the point after chairing his last meeting as chief selector in Mumbai on August 10. 

Yuvraj, once declared fit, walks into the Indian team automatically. His absence was being felt more because of the inconsistency of players like Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan during the interim period. 

His return marks the end of a long and traumatic period. His problems had begun with breathing difficulties, nausea and bouts of vomiting blood during India's successful run through the 2011 World Cup, which he ended as the player of the tournament.

Six months later he was diagnosed with a rare for of cancer, mediastinal seminoma, and subsequently underwent chemotherapy in the United States of America (USA). He returned to India in April and commenced training at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore in June. 

“I had told myself that one day I would come back and play for India again. I was determined to do that. However much I had to go through with the cancer, I kept the faith because I wanted to step on the field again one day. Today I've got the news that I am going to be stepping on the field again. I am ecstatic. I can't wait to step on the field and wave the Indian flag!" Yuvraj reacted to his recall in the national team. 

"Everyone was talking about whether I should be picked or not, so I wasn't sure. I heard the news of my selection on the TV. It is as if I was being picked for India again- that same feeling that I can't explain," the explosive cricketer felt.

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Yuvraj’s comeback to add value to ICC World Twenty20 2012

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 

The gladdening news is that Yuvraj Singh, the champion Indian all-rounder who was declared Player of the Tournament in the World Cup 2011, has aimed a comeback in the ICC World Twenty20 2012 to be held in Sri Lanka in September. 

Yuvraj, recovering from treatment for cancer, has begun training at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore. He has clarified that he’s in no mood to rush his comeback but he remained hopeful for representing the country in the upcoming T20 event which would itself be boosted by his return. 

"I will be in the NCA for a while now. I want to come back and play for India, that's my goal. It's not very easy on the body. I have gone through a lot and my body has gone through a lot of shock. People are expecting me to come back very quickly, but I don't want to rush. I will have to take my time and come back 100% fit,” the explosive left-handed batsman, whose left-arm spin also works in the limited overs games, was quoted as saying. 

"I am feeling good. My body will become stronger stage by stage. Twenty20 world cup is my target. Hopefully I can be ready little before that," Yuvraj said. Yuvraj was diagnosed with a type of cancer called ‘mediastinal seminoma’ a germ-cell tumour located between his two lungs, in February. 


He underwent three sessions of chemotherapy in Indianapolis, at the IU Simon Cancer Centre at the Indiana University Medical Centre. He finished the last cycle of chemotherapy in mid-March, and his response had left his medical team fairly confident that he would not suffer a relapse. 


The daring all-rounder has remained confident he will return to playing cricket for India but says he is neither in a hurry nor anxious to do so, and that cancer changed his approach to both life and the sport. 


 In his first media conference on returning to India after receiving treatment in the USA Yuvraj had stated his chemotherapy cycles often left him ‘depressed’ and in tears, but having cancer had taught him a lot. 

"Cancer may be the best thing to have happened to me and maybe I will realise this in the future. There were more bad days than good. I haven't played cricket for one year, and it has been the toughest battle of my life,” he observed. 


He had avoided watching cricket on TV during treatment in USA, stating that there was a little bit of frustration when he watched the team play. He found himself inspired by the practical approach of fellow chemotherapy patients. 


He discovered that he now belonged to another larger group of people, a group he called ‘the cancer family.’ The disease, Yuvraj said, had made him appreciate friends, family, health and happiness over fame, popularity, success or money. 


Yuvraj's treatment in the USA had involved working with Dr Lawrence Einhorn, the doctor who helped Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong recover from a form of cancer that had been considered terminal.

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Gutsy Yuvraj Singh expected to win battle against cancer to stage another forceful comeback

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

These have been the most turbulent days in Indian cricket. Not only their team is getting hammered in Australia in every format of the game but one of the most vibrant characters, Yuvraj Singh, is laid low with cancer and currently undergoing chemotherapy in the United States of America (USA).

Yuvraj, who was adjudged Man of the Tournament in the last year’s World Cup, having helped his team recapture the crown after 28 years will now be watching his teammates so dearly miss him in the ongoing ODI series against Australia and Sri Lanka.

His mere presence could have lifted the spirits of the demoralized outfit in the One-day Internationals after the unexpected whitewash in the Test series against Australia.

Although the Indians used to talk about their bench strength with awe, particularly in the batting department, it appears a thing of the past and they badly need committed and courageous batters who could do the business.

In this context the return of Yuvraj becomes all the more important. India would have to live without him for the next few months but he should be walking straight back in the side the moment he passes the fitness test.

It’s indeed unfortunate that he has been diagnosed with cancer with his condition being described "mediastinal seminoma," a germ-cell tumour located between his two lungs. The condition, according to the doctor, is neither lung cancer nor a tumour that had spread into the lungs. Mediastinal seminoma is a rare tumour which forms less than 1% of cancers on the whole.

"We are very lucky to know that this is a seminoma variety of germ-cell tumour which are mostly curable with therapy and moreover would be unlikely to cause any detriment to Yuvraj's career in the long term," the doctor was quoted as saying.

Yuvraj, reportedly, will begin the third of his nine weeks of chemotherapy in the USA. "In the first few days Yuvi may not feel very good. He may feel nauseous, but starting this week he will be on the mend and may even do a bit of training as he improves, under the guidance of a specialist physiotherapist from the BCCI,” the doctor was quoted as saying.

“The chemotherapy has been planned with the aim of ensuring Yuvraj can return to full fitness and readiness for cricket. Yuvraj should be able to start active training in about ten weeks. If I was asked: will Yuvraj Singh the person be cured, I will say very likely yes. If you ask: will we see the return of Yuvraj Singh the cricketer, I would say most likely yes and he will return with the same fervour that he had when he left. In all likelihood, he should be on the field on May 1," he added.

The examples of Simon O'Donnell and Dave Callaghan having resumed their international cricket career after successful treatment of cancer should gladden the followers of Yuvraj and the man himself.

The Australian all-rounder, O'Donnell, had a lump on his rib was found to be cancerous soon after he helped his win the 1987 World Cup. He underwent chemotherapy and made a strong comeback to international cricket in 1988-89.

Callaghan, a South Africa all-rounder, was treated for cancer in 1991. He returned to full health and earned a place in the national squad the following year, going on to play 29 ODIs before retirement in 2003.

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Yuvraj gets wake-up call

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The manner in which Yuvraj Singh was moving around in the ICC Twenty20 in the West Indies last month there should not be any debate about his exclusion from the Indian squad for the upcoming Asia Cup.

He didn’t appear fit mentally or physically during the course of the tournament and he was a mere shadow of his own former self. Gone was the spark in his fielding and also missing was his usual aggression with the bat. The man who used to be an asset for the side with his all-round versatility had become a liability.

Yuvraj, a master blaster in his own right, has been short of runs from his own high standards for the past many months. He has been laid low by fitness problems and the form has also deserted him in the limited appearances that he has been able to make in this the most turbulent phase of his career yet.

Known and feared for taking the attack to the opposition he used to be an automatic choice in the star-studded Indian batting line-up in the limited overs matches for the past one decade.

The Indian selection panel, led by the enterprising former opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth, appears to have made the right decision of having ignored him for the Asia Cup because Yuvraj didn’t deserve to make the cut in his present form and there was no point in picking him on mere reputation.

I think the Indian selectors have learnt their lessons quickly. They have realized sooner than later that drafting the left-hander in the ICC Twenty20 side was a blunder and that he should be sidelined at the moment.

Almost every batsman has had to endure a lean patch in a long career. Yuvraj now has to work hard to regain form and fitness to stage a comeback because the young guns like Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are standing right there to grab his place.

The 28-year-old Yuvraj does have the skill and time at his disposal to bounce back but the road to recovery may not be as easy as it looks like. He will be needed to prove his fitness and get runs at the domestic level before resuming international career.

He had an ordinary IPL earlier this year and he was even removed from captaincy of the Kings XI Punjab whom he had led pretty well in the earlier two editions of the tournament. There were just a few flashes of brilliance and his side sorely missed his aggression in the middle.

He’s reported to be having a dodgy shoulder and knee for quite sometime. In fact his knee has needed surgery which he has been putting off since 2006.

It goes to his credit that he has still played quite a few match-winning knocks for India despite being handicapped by injuries but they look like taking its toll with so much of cricket around. Consistency is what he lacked, however, and he has finally been given a wake-up call.

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Golden opportunity for Yuvraj Singh to cement place in Test side

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The resumption of England’s tour to India has gladdened the hearts of millions of cricket enthusiasts all over the world but one man to whom this could mean he most is none other than the mercurial Yuvraj Singh.

The enterprising left-hander, who has had an outstanding ODI series, has been rewarded by the selectors as he has found his way in the Test squad for the two-Test series against England starting on December 11.

It’s a golden opportunity for Yuvraj, having phenomenal record in the limited overs games, to cement a place in the Test side. He has been deemed as the natural successor to the now retired former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly.

There are quite a few similarities between Yuvraj and Ganguly. Both of them believe in taking the attack to the opposition. India certainly needs an explosive matter at number six following the grafters of the caliber of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman all of whom are experts in playing long innings.

Yuvraj hasn’t enjoyed yet the kind of consistency that was being expected from him in the limited opportunities having coming his way. To be fair with him, he was not given a long enough run to settle in the team.
Obviously it was not easy to walk into the middle-order already having four world class batsmen. He was drafted in the playing even only when one of the fabulous four was struggling for form or fitness.

With Ganguly having now retired, Yuvraj should not have the pressure of being there just for an interim period. If he fires in the Test matches in the manner he has done in One-day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals there is no reason why he should be a regular member of the Indian Test team for a number of years.

There are two major factors in Yuvraj’s favour now and he should make the most of them. Number one the retirement of Ganguly takes the press off his head. He can be assured of a place in the Test side now if he keeps scoring prolifically.

Number two he has been in exceptional form during the past few weeks. He was absolutely magnificent in the one-dayers having blasted back to back hundreds. He finds himself in a very good position now to carry this terrific form into the Test matches. He should fancy his chances of dominating the same set of England bowlers in the two Tests as well.

It’s just a matter of putting things together for Yuvraj. If he plays his natural aggressive cricket without losing his composure he looks all set for big scores in Test cricket too. He has tremendous potential and he needs to improve his Test record. He deserves better figures than 1050 runs in 23 games spread over a period of five years.

The kind of attacking cricket the Indians have been playing lately Yuvraj fits perfectly in their plans. He has a great opportunity to prove to the world that he has the talents to succeed in the longer version of the game too.

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Yuvraj’s solo upstages Pietersen’s band at Indore

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

It’s not often that an individual dominates a team game as decisively as India’s Yuvraj Singh did against England in the second One-day International of the seven-match series at Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground, Indore, November 17.

Yuvraj, we all know, is a special talent. But he has come up with amazing performance in the first couple of ODIs, pocketing Man of the Match award on both the occasions. More importantly he has contributed immensely to the cause of the team enabling it to double the advantage at Indore.

Yuvraj almost single-handedly won the day for India at Indore where followed up his superlative knock of 118 off 122 balls with the exceptional figures of 4 for 28. One could not have asked for better all-round performance in a single game. It would have made the likes of Ian Botham, Imran Khan and Kapil Dev proud.

England found themselves at the receiving end for the second time in a row at the hands of the devastating Yuvraj. If the versatile left-hander had demolished with mind-blowing batting displaying in the first ODI, his all-round performance caused even greater trouble for the tourists in the following encounter.

Unlike the opening game at Rajkot where India got off to a flyer, the hosts were in disarray in the opening hour and the bold move of Mahendra Singh Dhoni to bat first after calling correctly in conditions not ideal for free flowing strokes was starting to backfire.

Stuart Broad was firing on all cylinders and three top-order wickets had perished very quickly indeed. The bowling was on top and the runs were hard to come by. Enter Yuvraj Singh and the complexion of the match changed.

"We had a chance at 29 for 3. We lost ourselves to Yuvraj. He was fantastic,” conceded the sporting England captain Kevin Pietersen in the post match ceremony. He must be wondering how to cope with the Yuvraj factor in the remaining matches.

“Great performance by Yuvi and Gambhir. You've got to change the target every 5 to 10 overs. As the partnership between them grew we kept raising our target,” the jubilant Indian skipper Dhoni observed.

“I have been training hard over the last few months and it's paying off. At 29 for 3 I wanted to assess the wicket, spoke to Gambhir a lot about the target. There were some shots you couldn't play on this wicket," the man of the moment reckoned.What a fabulous series Yuvraj is having right now. He seems in the middle of another purple patch that should gladden the hearts of his millions of fan spread all over the globe.

In the first ODI, he hammered an unbeaten 138 off only 78 balls that included as many as six sixes and 16 fours. His blistering knock helped India in posting their highest-ever total at home. The score could have even gone to 400 had Yuvraj, batting with a runner, not mistimed a couple of big hits in the final over.

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