Grateful to god, Yuvraj Singh eyes early comeback

Gurgaon: "I am thankful to God that I got my life back," said Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh in his first media interaction after undergoing treatment for a rare germ cell cancer, conceding that it would take at least two more months before he returns to the field.

Back in the country after spending more than two months in the United States and London to recuperate from a malignant tumour between his lungs, Yuvraj addressed the media to talk about the "toughest" phase of his life.

The 30-year-old batsman, who was adjudged man of the tournament at last year's World Cup before the ailment put a stop on his playing, coughed a bit during the interaction during which his Indian doctor Nitesh Rohtagi was by his side. 

"I am thankful to God that I got back my life. Everybody faces such issues. I am very happy and thankful to everyone that I am out of it," said the flamboyant left-hander, who admitted to that there were times when he broke down. 

Asked when it would be possible for him to return to action, a smiling Yuvraj said not before a couple of months at least.

"All my fans want me to come back soon, I am sure you people will understand that my body will take time. I will have to take care of my health. I will try to return as soon as possible, in the next two months. I have been through a very tough time," he said.

Yuvraj said his mother, Shabnam, was his biggest support system during the last few months.

"My biggest support my mother was there. I don't think without her I would have made this journey. (Cycling legend) Lance Armstrong was very inspiring. 5-6 years back I was reading his book and left it midway for some reason. I had to complete it this way may be. He had similar cancer but his was in the last stage and mine was detected at early stage," he said.

Yuvraj said it was hard for him to come to terms with the illness when it was first diagnosed in October last year. 

"It was tough for me. Six months it took to diagnose whether I had cancer. I think it was tough because I had lot of trouble breathing, I used to cough a lot. There used to be blood in my cough," he recalled.

"I didn't tell anyone, I never showed it to anyone what I was going through. I was always cheerful and kept telling myself that I will be fine but I knew there was a serious issue. I just had to come out of it somehow," he said when asked whether he shared the details of his ailment with his teammates at first.

The cricketer said despite the ordeal he has been through, he remains an optimistic person.

"Mentally, I think I have to be positive. There is lot of happiness inside me. At the moment, I am really happy. So I am very positive. I am just thinking about things and just happy to be back," he said.

Yuvraj also hinted at doing something for cancer patients given what he himself went through.
"Obviously this thing hit me very hard. Cancer is out of my system but the scar remains. In future I will definitely do something for the people," he said.

Recalling the time he spent recuperating from the ailment, Yuvraj said he would avoid watching cricket as it left him frustrated.

"I would stay away from cricket because whenever I saw a match, I used to feel frustrated. Just staying in the house, to get up and do anything was a tough job. I used to try and walk. I played video games, watched movies. My mother would cook for me. I was not able to do much. It was tough to get out of the house and move around," he said.

On the Armstrong influence on him during the treatment, Yuvraj said the cycling legend, who was given less than 40 per cent survival chance at the time of his diagnosis, was immensely inspiring.

"I can't compare much. For me Lance is a real-life hero. He is a great sportsman and his achievements in life are great. To me, just to recuperate and get back would be a big achievement," Yuvraj said.

"I don't know what I would do in future. I am going to work hard. Earlier, I I always felt that I want that India logo back on my forehead. Right now, I just want to be back, I don't know what I will do after that but I will be back very soon," he said.

Yuvraj also rejected suggestions that he erred in going for alternate therapy while he was being diagnosed.

"The diagnose for cancer was very hard. It takes time. Once I knew what I needed to do, I went straight to doing that," he clarified.

Talking about his mother, Yuvraj said he would often cry and seek comfort in her during the recovery time.

"For two months, my mother didn't shed a tear. She was always there. She would wake up at 4 to see when I would cough or throw up. I used to cry like a kid and she would comfort me. She was stronger than me," he said. 

Another person who inspired Yuvraj was senior teammate Sachin Tendulkar, who even met him in London.

"I was in touch with Sachin while he was in Australia. I also wanted his 100th hundred. He has always inspired him. It was great to see him in London. I didn't want this to come out but media would have known. I was delighted to see him," he said.

"I wanted to be part of the team when Sachin got his 200 in ODIs, got his 100th hundred but unfortunately I was not there. I was there in thoughts and congratulated him.”

"It's a very big achievement. It's just amazing that he has played for so many years. I have developed a cherished friendship with him. Unfortunate that I wasn't there when he got the 100th hundred," he said.


Having been through a tough phase, Yuvraj said he has realised that it was important to get niggles checked. "I always wanted that I conduct myself in a way that the people who are battling this, get confidence from me. I was very scared myself.”

"As a sportsman, you play with niggles and don't get ourselves checked. But we should get ourselves checked. When I started coughing, I ignored it. It wasn't right but I did that because of the World Cup," he said.

"It's part and parcel of life. You fall down and get up. I am feeling better," he added.

Yuvraj is also planning to pen his experience and change of thought process during the treatment in a book. 

"I am writing about it, what I went through, the people who were around me. I am writing a book which will come out someday. My thoughts have changed, because you get everything in life but the most important thing is happiness.”

"Money is important, but it's important that you are happy in life. When I started playing for India, I always wondered whether I would score runs, field well...these questions were there. But now, I am happy in life, I am content. Definitely I will play cricket but with less stress on my mind," he explained.

On why he was active on twitter even while being down physically, Yuvraj said he did that to "avoid speculation" and keep his fans updated about his condition.

Asked about his immediate goal, Yuvraj said, "Immediate goal is to feel healthy, I am happy. There is no reason why I shouldn't be back soon. Just feel better."

Watching from the sidelines as the IPL unfolds, Yuvraj said, "I miss playing the IPL, I wish (my team) Pune (Warriors) all the best." 

"I just want to rest and get better. May be in May I will go and watch a few (IPL) games."

Yuvraj said from now on he would have to work on fitness a lot more but he would not change from being the fun-loving person he is perceived to be.

"I was always fun loving and I would always be like that. I won't hide myself. I know I am a good person at heart. I am not 20 anymore, I have to work harder on my fitness," he said.

"It has definitely been the toughest battle of my life. I can't compare it to the World Cup triumph but playing cricket is easier than fighting cancer.”

"Cancer has taught me a lot of things. May be it is the best thing that has happened to me, I can't say right now but may be some years down the line, I would realise. When I was taking chemotherapy, there were a lot of elderly patients, and that would inspire me. I thought, if they can be cured, why can't I be," he said.

Pietersen warned for switch hit

Kevin Pietersen has insisted that he will not abandon his switch hit after receiving a formal warning by the umpires for misusing the stroke during the second Test at the P Sara Oval.

Pietersen, en route to one of the most flamboyant of his 20 Test hundreds, shaped to play the switch hit before Tillakaratne Dilshan was in his delivery stride and later admitted he was not aware of the regulation that prevents him moving prematurely. Pietersen, who made his 20th Test hundred, began to get into place for the shot as Dilshan started his run-up and the bowler twice aborted his run up.

The incident occurred during an enthralling head-to-head between Pietersen and Dilshan, which had already seen Pietersen switch his grip around to strike the bowler through the off side. However, Pietersen then began to set himself earlier for the shot and Dilshan refused to deliver which led to a stalemate.

Asad Rauf, the umpire at the bowler's end, signalled the warning to Pietersen after the second aborted delivery after consulting with his colleague Bruce Oxenford. Pietersen gesticulated towards the officials, clearly unsure about what he was being penalised for. The immediate consequence was that if Pietersen, or any other England batsman, did it again during the innings Sri Lanka would be awarded five penalty runs.

"There's no issue, I just got my timing wrong," Pietersen said. "He said it was a warning because I moved my hands a bit too quick. I don't understand the rules, it's something I found out today, mid-innings, at a pretty unfortunate time. I've just got to switch my hands a little later, which I didn't know. You learn something new every day. Once I'd been warned I enquired about it."

Andy Flower, the England team director, immediately went to the match referee's room for clarification over the issue, his second visit of the match following his questioning of a review against Thilan Samaraweera on the first day. The ball after the official warning, Pietersen reverse-swept again and brought up his hundred. He went on to make 151 from 165 balls as England pushed for their first victory of the winter.

Oxenford, who was at square leg when the warning was given, spoke to Sky Sports after the day's play. "The ICC think switch-hitting is an excellent innovation," he said. "But when the bowler sees intent [in the batsman altering his stance] prior to delivering the ball and stops what can happen is we can get a stalemate situation...the bowler won't deliver because he wants to change his field if he thinks the batsman is going to switch-hit.

"When we get to that situation the way to move forward is to give the batsman an informal warning, then a formal one for time-wasting. If it happens again it's a team warning under time-wasting by the batting side and it's an automatic five-run penalty."

An ICC statement in May 2010 said: "The ICC Cricket Committee adopted the updated directive introduced earlier in the year which prevents the batsman from altering his grip or stance before the bowler enters his delivery stride. Should the bowler see a batsman change his grip or stance prior to the delivery stride the bowler can decide not to bowl the ball."

Graham Ford, the Sri Lanka coach and a mentor to Pietersen, appeared more to speed with the regulation. "The rule is quite clear: if the batsman sets himself up prior to the bowler's release and the bowler sees him and is able to stop the warning is issued. I think for about every single one he set himself up before the release except for the ones straight after the warning. I think it was all handled pretty well."

When Pietersen first unveiled the switch hit against New Zealand in 2008 it provoked debate about the legality of the shot because, for example, if a bowler wants to change from right to left arm (however rare that occurrence may be) he has to inform the umpire and the batsman. There are also implications for what fairly constitues a wide delivery or lbw. However, the MCC approved the shot, citing the difficultly level as a main reason, and hailed it as a good innovation for cricket.

"MCC believes that the 'switch-hit' stroke is exciting for the game of cricket," was the conclusion. "Indeed, the stroke conforms to the Laws of Cricket and will not be legislated against...MCC believes that the 'switch-hit' stroke is a difficult shot to execute and that it incurs a great deal of risk for the batsman. It also offers bowlers a good chance of taking a wicket and therefore MCC believes that the shot is fair to both batsman and bowler."

After this latest incident, the MCC added: "A batsman is still entitled to play the switch-hit stroke but he is only allowed to alter from one stance or grip to another once the bowler has entered his delivery stride. Pietersen should therefore have only been warned if the umpire was certain that Dilshan had not entered his bowling stride before the batsman shaped to play the switch-hit."

Pietersen believes there is more danger for the batsman and says it is a shot he will continue to play - if with slightly different timing.

"Like I said when I played it against New Zealand, I don't think the batsman should get penalised because I'm taking the biggest risk," he observed. "I've always said I'll play to that side of the field when there's no one there. I don't find it a hard shot, I can just manipulate the field when they bowl a leg-stump line. It's a shot worth playing."

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Sri Lanka dig in at start of rearguard

Lunch Sri Lanka 275 and 84 for 2 (Dilshan 25*, Sangakkara 8*) trail England 460 by 101 runs

It was a Poya Day in Sri Lanka and a rudimentary sign at the P Sara Stadium told England supporters the awful truth: no alcohol would be served. They have watched England lose Test matches in Asia all winter and the moment they feel that a celebration might be on hand they might have to do it stone-cold sober. Still, it would be good for the soul, never mind the body shape.

Perhaps an England victory will be delayed until the final day when normal behaviour can be resumed; perhaps they will not win it at all. Sri Lanka retain hopes of wriggling out of this one, 101 behind at lunch on the fourth day with eight wickets remaining after England picked up the wickets of Dhammika Prasad, the nightwatchman, and Lahiru Thirimanne in the morning session. And with memories still fresh of England's collapse to 72 all out against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, in pursuit of 145, Sri Lanka might even imagine they can win it.

Prasad's presence at the crease did not please the purists who like their opening batsmen to don the pads without fear or favour. Recourse to a nightwatchman for an opening batsman is unusual, although far from unknown. Sri Lanka have taken the option before, with Rangana Herath opening against Pakistan in Galle three years ago under Kumar Sangakkara's captaincy. A draining climate makes it perfectly understandable.

Dilshan, who had a taxing third day in the field yesterday, bowling 20 overs and becoming embroiled in a psychological stand-off with Kevin Pietersen over his contentious use of the switch hit, had an allrounder's right to a bit of protection, but having drawn attention to himself in more ways than one he received a predictable amount of chirruping from England's fielders.

At one stage the umpire, Asad Rauf, told the England captain, Andrew Strauss, that enough was enough. With England's fielders also causing irritation by strolling across the crease with faux innocence, so often that it resembled Oxford Street at rush hour, there was plenty of bite in the morning.

Graeme Swann's offspin held most threat for England on a wearing pitch with occasional deliveries rearing and turning, but the two wickets fell to the quicker bowlers. James Anderson has the measure of Thirimanne and he slanted a ball across the left-hander in the ninth over for Strauss to hold the catch at first slip. Matt Prior, who had missed a routine stumping off Swann in the previous over, was mightily relieved.

Prasad acquitted himself well, surviving past drinks and reaching 34 before Steven Finn set him up for a short ball which he pulled obligingly to Tim Bresnan at deep backward square. Dilshan, often so adventurous, was subdued. He reached lunch on 25, fortunate to survive a testing spell by Swann, who also had Prasad dropped by the sprawling Finn at mid-off.

commercialization of Cricket

Now a days you can notice that cricket is not just a sport now. It is used like a business now. It is used to make money. Every part of cricket is now used as advertising spot. When the game started there was only a white jersey for every team, then it got colored and after that name of the main sponsor printed on it but now the whole jersey is printed with the name of different companies. First the bat was used had no stickers but now it have. The boundary rope was naked at some time but now even it is covered by some ads. Ads printed on grass, Behind the boundary, on the side screen, stumps, everywhere.
As in IPL you can see every term of cricket is used as to new name, like the one which was called a SIX is now a DLF maximum, a wicket is a city moment of success, a catch is Karbbon kamal catch even if its a loly on mid onn.....But they say ITS IPL BOSS.... but we shouldn't forget that ITS CRICKET BOSS...  

Don't look back, live strong buddy: Armstrong's message to Yuvraj

New Delhi: Recuperating after undergoing three cycles of chemotherapy for a malignant tumour between his lungs, Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh received an inspiring video message from his "real life hero" Lance Armstrong - the cycling legend whose own successful battle with cancer is well-documented.

"Very special and inspiring message from my real life hero," tweeted Yuvraj along with a link to the message from the cyclist, who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times after having survived testicular cancer.

In the 19-second video, Armstrong urged Yuvraj to keep going forward optimistically. "Hi Yuvi, I am Lance Armstrong and welcome home. Man you have got one big following, I have heard about you every hour of every day since you have been diagnosed. We are pulling for you, so glad you are healthy now. Have a great life, don't look back, live strong buddy," said the 40-year-old American.

Armstrong was 25 when was diagnosed with stage three testicular cancer, which spread to his lungs, abdomen and brain. Armstrong had an orchiectomy to remove his diseased testicle and was given less than a 40 percent survival chance by his doctors. But he battled out of it successfully to not just survive but also renew his career as a cyclist.

The 30-year-old Yuvraj, who will return to the country on Monday, was discharged on March 18 from a hospital in the United States. Thousands of well-wishers have sent messages to cricketer, who is known for his aggressive batting and disciplined spin bowling. Yuvraj, has scored 8,051 runs in 274 one-dayers and 1,775 runs in 37 Tests since making his international debut in 2000.

off the pitch News

Sydney: The last time India flew in to Sydney, immediately after losing the Boxing Day Test, captain MS Dhoni was not a happy man. It wasn't just the loss in Melbourne that left him peeved, the captain had a larger issue that he wasn't pleased about - his limited say in the selection panel.

Speaking to HT before boarding the flight to Sydney, Dhoni lamented how he would give a list of players to the selectors only to find many of them he wanted not named in the squad. “I don't have a say in selection. I ask for certain players, send it in writing to the selectors and when the squad is announced their names are missing,” said Dhoni.

After his fine showing in the ODI series in the Caribbean, India coach Duncan Fletcher went up to Rohit Sharma and said he wanted him in the Test side. “After that innings (match-winning knock of 86 in Antigua), Duncan came up to me and said, 'I can't believe you're not in the Test squad',” Rohit told HT in an interview soon after that tour. India has played 11 Tests since then, and he is still to make his Test debut, despite the repeated batting failures overseas.

NO VOICE

The above two examples illustrate how little say the India captain and coach have in team selection. It has long been known how much influence the market forces have in the players who do and don't get selected, with the bigger brand names given more weightage than actual performance. After being whitewashed in back-to-back away series, shouldn't the BCCI review its selection policy? The issue that Ian Chappell raised on the star culture prevailing in the Indian dressing room is a pertinent one. What makes it all the worse is that India has a captain and coach who have in the past made bold decisions.

It was here four years ago that Dhoni, fresh off leading India to triumph in the inaugural T20 world championships, asked the selectors that he didn't want ageing heroes Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in the ODI tri-series that followed the Test series, instead opting for younger faces. The ploy worked well as India won that series with many new names emerging. In his time with England, Fletcher opted for a host of unknowns, but with a vision that they had what it takes. Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick, Steve Harmison and Simon Jones are just a few examples of players who flourished under his regime.

NOT PROACTIVE

Compare BCCI's methods with the revamped selection policy of Cricket Australia after the Argus Review which followed last year's embarrassing Ashes loss in its own backyard. One of recommendations was to have both the captain and coach as part of a five-man selection panel.

In the limited time that it has been implemented it has worked well. Just think of the new names Australia has unearthed over the past six months. Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, James Pattinson, David Warner, Ed Cowan and Mitchell Starc are among the many new faces who've earned their Baggy Greens since the new policy was implemented.

Speaking of his own role in the selection panel, Australian captain Michael Clarke said, “I think it's been good to be able to voice my opinion. Obviously, you're only one of five votes. More than being a selector, it's the communication with the selectors that I've really enjoyed.”

As Dhoni said, at present there is a complete communication breakdown between the selectors and the team, which is why a team that has lost eight straight away Tests hasn't changed the batting order, much less the team.

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Sachin Tendulkar gets injured in IPL 5 opener

Chennai: Sachin Tendulkar sustained a finger injury in his left hand and retired hurt when he tried to fend off a rising delivery from Chennai Super Kings' bowler Doug Bollinger in the opener of the Indian Premier League's fifth season here on Wednesday. However, it is still not clear whether it is a fracture or a simple bruise.

It was the fifth ball of the ninth over and Tendulkar, who was batting on 15, got a short ball from Bollinger. The ball climbed onto him as the delivery hit one of the green patches and reared up uncomfortably. Tendulkar could just fend it off as it hit him on the glove.

Tendulkar, however, faced the next delivery and got a single to go onto 16. But at the end of the over, he sought medical attention and was advised to retire, following which he was seen returning to the dug-out looking in considerable pain. He had scored 16 off 15 balls with a four and a six off Albie Morkel.

Mumbai play their next match against Pune Warriors India on Friday.