Sledging Yuvraj Singh is not the best of ideas. England great Andrew Flintoff found out the hard way in the 2007 T20 World Cup when the India white-ball legend unleashed hell on pacer Stuart Broad, smashing him for six sixes in an over in a Super Six stage match at Durban. After achieving the rare feat, Yuvraj even pointed his bat towards Flintoff, with whom he had been involved in a heated argument not too long ago. But this was not always the case.
When Yuvraj first turned up for India as a 19-year-old, he wasn’t nearly as feisty as Flintoff found him to be seven years later. In fact, arguing or swearing on the field was the last thing on the all-rounder’s mind while playing cricket. It was his debut against Australia that changed everything.
Yuvraj’s father Yograj Singh, a former India cricketer, revealed how sledging from the Australian team led by the legendary Steve Waugh taught Yuvraj to be tough and give it back. Yograj said Waugh, who only played a couple of ODIs against Yuvraj, told the India batter to get up and face the music when he was hit by a bouncer.
“For me, it’s a war fought by gentlemen. While you are in the field, there are times you are just going through the motions, and people should understand this. I don’t know whether you have heard what Australians do on the field. They abuse everything which is in the world. They use every harsh word in the dictionary. I remember when Yuvraj was hit by a ball and he fell. Steve Waugh came and said, ‘Get up, this is not school cricket, you bloody kid’,” Yograj told Inside Sports.
Why Yuvraj Singh had an argument with Andrew Flintoff
Yograj then went on to add that what transpired between Yuvraj and Flintoff was only because his son had learnt to swear and give it back to the opposition after getting the wrath from Waugh.
“And he just got up and he was standing. And then he would swear like this and what happened with Flintoff and Yuvi,” Yograj added.
Yuvraj was Player of the Match on his international debut in the Champions Trophy quarterfinal against Australia in 2000 in Nairobi, Kenya. Coming in to bat at No.5, the youngster fresh from success in the U19 World Cup, took on the best of the Australian bowlers on his way to a stroke-filled 84 off 80 balls that included 12 boundaries that helped India post 265/9.
Yuvraj always displayed tremendous fielding skills. He took a sharp catch to dismiss Ian Harvey and then Australia a body blow by running out Michael Bevan, one of the best finishes of the game. India won the match by 20 runs after bowling Australia out for 245 to advance to the semi-final of the tournament.
Yograj said emotions are bound to fluctuate when players represent their country, so one shouldn’t harp too much about it.
“You are still friends when you go out. Everybody is not the same. Emotions go, forgive them. Obviously, at the end of the day, you are friends. You say sorry to each other and that is over. Have a big heart. Don’t get into all these petty things. There is nonsense going on, fining kids and all this kind of stuff. It doesn’t matter,” he added.
