“World Cup win would be my biggest gift from my son Yuvi,” says his dad Yograj Singh

Yuvraj Singh’s father talks about his superb run in the World Cup, marriage and much more, in an interview to Suhrid Barua.

Yuvraj Singh has been a major factor in India’s campaign in the 2011 World Cup. He has been the pivot around which the Indian middle-order has revolved. In seven games, the southpaw has amassed 341 runs at a staggering average of 113.66 – embellished with one century, four half-centuries and four Man-of-the-Match Awards. It’s a fitting reply to the carping critics who ranted that the best of Yuvraj was over.

Yograj Singh, the former India pacer and Yuvraj Singh’s father, spoke to CricketCountry.com on his son – now the cynosure of the entire nation.

Excerpts from an interview:

Q: Yuvraj has been in phenomenal form in the ongoing World Cup. It must be extremely satisfying to see your son come so good on the World Cup stage, especially after going through the horrors last year?

A: I’m happy that Yuvi is doing what he is good at – scoring runs and helping India win matches. He called me up on Friday morning to wish me on my birthday and asked me whether I enjoyed the birthday gift (his knock of 57 that steered India to a win over Australia on Thursday evening). I told him that winning the World Cup would be biggest birthday gift for me.

Q: The 2010 was a difficult year for Yuvraj. He was in and out of the national team in both One-Day Internationals as well as in Tests. How did you keep him motivated?

A: I kept telling him one thing: Have faith in God, be consistent in working hard and the Almighty would never let you down. Nobody bothered to know what Yuvi was going through when he was grappling with injuries and poor form while being on the sidelines. Every player goes through tough times, even the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag have gone through the same. I’m sure the tough times would stand him in good stead for the future.

Q: Yuvraj last played a Test on the 2010 Sri Lankan tour where he played the first Test and got injured in the second Test, and missed the decider after his replacement Suresh Raina hit a hundred on debut. Subsequently, he was kept out of two home series against Australia, New Zealand and later for the South Africa Test series. Do you think this superlative performance at the World Cup would help him earn a Test recall?

A: Why not? I’m pretty optimistic that Yuvi would cement his spot in the Test side as well.

Q: There is always a belief that Yuvraj is blessed with loads of natural talent, but he hasn’t quite done justice to his immense potential. What’s your take?

A: Every player is different. Some players mature early, while some take time to mature. As for Yuvraj, I can tell you that the best of Yuvraj is yet to come. You also got to remember that Yuvraj is a true team player and not one to chase personal records. Had Yuvi had been like that, he would have scored more than 25,000 runs till date. You know what, he once told me: “Dad, I am prepared to die for the country diving on the field.” That’s the spirit and pride he has in playing for the country.

Q: Yuvraj is always a big hit among the fairer sex. and has been linked with Bollywood actresses like Deepika Padukone and Kim Sharma among others. How do you handle all his link-ups?

A: Yuvi tells me one thing: Dad, if you trust me, don’t read newspapers and don’t watch television news channels.

Q: Yuvraj is the most eligible bachelor. When would you like to see him settle down?

A: Marriage for Yuvraj can wait for another five years. He is at the peak of his career and I would want him to realize his potential and do well for the country. I would want my bahu to be someone like Sachin Tendulkar’s wife Anjali. I also have a dream – to train my grandson (Yuvraj future son) to be the most lethal fast bowler in the country.