Earlier this year in June, Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh called it a day, ending his 19-year-long international cricket career.
Enjoying his post retirement life, the stylish left-hander is yet to bid adieu to the game completely, courtesy the two to three leagues he plans to play every year. After the 2019 Global T20 league in Canada, Yuvraj is now part of the Abu Dhabi T10 league.
“I am loving it. I am enjoying my cricket very much. I really enjoyed playing in Canada. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go to Caribbean Premier League due to dates issue and other things,” said Yuvraj
“But playing in two or three formats in a year is actually great for me because I am retired, and I have my retired life and I get to work in things I want to after retirement.”Yuvraj Singh
Justifying his retirement, Yuvraj said he can no longer afford to be on the road with the Indian team for a greater part of the year. And instead prefers to return to cricket only when he misses the game.
“When I miss cricket, I have these two or three tournaments to play. Rather than being on the park for 360 days, playing 60 or 90 days of cricket and relaxing. Also, I am at the age where I don’t wish to be playing all through out the year.”Yuvraj Singh
“I would like to relax more, spend time with the family. You know enjoy my life. It has been a roller coaster life for 19 years, so try to be as relax as possible,” said Yuvraj.
Turning out for Maratha Arabians, the former Indian cricketer didn’t have a best start to his T10 career, getting dismissed for only 6 runs on his debut match. In his next innings he could only manage 14 runs.
Talking about the T10 experience, Yuvraj said: Actually, it went really fast. I felt there was no time at all to think whether to block or go for big hits. But I think that is the nature of T10. I hope we get used to it quickly.
Yuvraj realises the necessity to adapt quickly to the format.
“We don’t have to many games to qualify and have that kind of a tournament. It is a short tournament. So, we have to get used to conditions and get going quickly,” said Yuvraj.
The third edition of the T10 League, which started on the 15 November, will continue till 24 November.
Yuvraj believes that though there is not much difference between T10 and T20 cricket, but the pace at which things unfold in the shortest format, it becomes very crucial for batsman to handle pressure well.
“In T20 also, I am a number four batsman. I take 8-10 balls to get going but in T10 you don’t have that much liberty. If you have 3-4 dot balls, you have to take a run or go for a big hit. I think batsman go under pressure very quickly. I think you have to be little smarter in terms of the bowlers you pick to hit,” said Yuvraj.
The southpaw believes that though big-hitters hold an upper hand in this format, it is the innovators who will thrive in the longer run.
“Big-hitters and players who are innovative in terms of, who use fast bowlers’ pace in different direction because bowlers are completely under pressure in this format, so they know batsman are going to come swinging,” said the southpaw.
“I think it is about the hard hitters and being smart about when go all-out or when to hit a boundary or take a single.”Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj was quick to point out that there can’t be any fixed formula to succeed in the T10 format, especially keeping in mind the duration of a T10 match and the pace
“It depends player to player. The way the game is evolving, obviously T10 is a very exciting format but I am not really sure if you have that much time to get in there be settled and play those shots, play an innings,” said Yuvraj.
“It is definitely an exciting tournament, but I am not sure in terms of pacing yourself in a match. 50-over, Test match and in T20 also you have time to pace yourself. But with T10 you don’t have the time,” added the former vice-captain of India.
Yuvraj was sceptical of T10’s impact on world cricket and believes the format doesn’t have the potential to revolutionise the game in the way T20 had done a more than a decade back.
“I don’t see (T10) impacting world cricket the way T20 has done. I don’t see that happening because eventually you have any time to do anything, to get set and get going.”Yuvraj Singh
Instead, Yuvraj hailed the upcoming tournament – The Hundred as the next gamechanger in world cricket.
“I think the new format the hundred ball will be an exciting format because it is not T10 or T20, it is about 100 balls so that I believe could be an exciting format. That can bring a revolution like T20.”Yuvraj Singh
The Hundred, organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board, will be a 100-ball cricket tournament in England and Wales, commencing from July 2020.
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