Yuvraj Singh was denied by BCCI to represent Punjab again as he wasn’t granted the permission to come out of retirement and play the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for his home state starting from January 10.
The cricketer retired from all forms of cricket in 2019 and also featured in the Global T20 Canada and Abu Dhabi T10 leagues which are global leagues later in the year.
Yuvraj Singh Reconsidered His Retirement In 2019 But Wasn’t Granted Permission By BCCI To Play For Punjab Again
However, upon subsequent request from the Punjab Cricket Association, Yuvraj Singh reconsidered his retirement plan and decided to play again in the upcoming season to groom the youngsters of Punjab squad as well. He was also named in the probable squad of his home state Punjab for the tournament.
Accordingly, Yuvraj Singh wrote a letter to the BCCI to grant him permission to stage a comeback in domestic cricket. But BCCI denied him the permission by not issuing the No Objection Certificate for unknown reasons. His exposure by participating in the overseas T20 league already after retirement could be one of the reasons for the BCCI’s decision as it had earlier disqualified Pravin Tambe from playing in IPL 2020 for KKR for the same reason.
In June 2019, Yuvraj Singh was selected to play for the Toronto Nationals franchise team in the 2019 Global T20 Canada tournament. He also played for the Maratha Arabians in the Abu Dhabi T10 League 2019.
Yuvraj Singh’s Father Jograj Singh Unsure Of Reason Behind BCCI’s Objection
Yuvraj Singh’s father Yograj Singh has reacted on the same issue that he is also not sure of the exact reason for permission denial. He also felt the BCCI should instead give some more time for the retired cricketers to make a comeback to the sport and spend time with the youngsters.
“I am not sure of the exact reason (for BCCI denying NOC to Yuvraj), as I’m yet to speak with Yuvi on the same. But it’s entirely the choice of the BCCI. However, I feel that ample time should be given to retired players to make a comeback and play with the young boys, who have a lot to learn from them,” Yograj said while speaking to Asianet Newsable.
Yograj Singh also felt that it is also of considerable importance to give something back to Indian cricket as it has given everything to his son Yuvraj Singh. He also said that as a father, he will be very happy if Yuvraj Singh grooms a few cricketers who will represent the country in future while also revealing that the southpaw continues to practice even now despite taking retirement and hanging his boots in June 2019.
“Meanwhile, besides playing, giving back to the boys and Indian cricket is very important. If he can produce four-five players for the country in the coming years, it would be great. I will be very, very happy. He continues to practice even today. I think it’s all about how you feel. I believe it is very important to give back. If you are doing so, I think that is the greatest thing you are doing rather than playing cricket,” Yograj added.
Yuvraj Singh is an all-rounder who bats left-handed in the middle order and bowls slow left-arm orthodox and is the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi actor Yograj Singh. He was a member of the Indian cricket team in One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 2000 and 2017 and was the Man of the Tournament in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and one of the top performers at the 2007 ICC World T20, both of which India won. He played 40 Tests, 304 ODIs and 58 T20Is.