Mirpur: For the Indian cricket fan, a star is as good as his last performance. Past heroics often count for nothing and the latest cricketer to be hit by this changing attitude is Yuvraj Singh. They want the 2011 World Cup hero to fire or be fired at the earliest.
A batting failure in two matches of the World Twenty20 Cup and a few dropped catches was enough for the fans to forget Yuvraj, a match-winner for India during their first World Twenty20 Cup win.
The problem that India faces today is the absence of an inspirational player like Sachin Tendulkar. Very often when experienced cricketers run out of form, all that they need is some mental strengthening than correction in their technique. The present coach Duncan Fletcher has also proved to be a failure in motivating the players.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s statement ‘winning and losing is part of the game’ has not been accepted as many supporters believe that since there is a reservoir of talent in the country, Team India should be winning all their matches.
Dhoni can easily inspire cricketers junior to him but not the seniors — who are often his contemporaries. If Amit Mishra is performing at his best in World Twenty20 Cup, it is purely due to Dhoni’s support. “Dhoni supported me with lots of tips. His advice to play according to my strength has helped me a lot. He keeps reminding me about it especially in pressure games.”
Fans now quickly express their displeasure through social media, and their impatience with Yuvraj is coming through. When the difference of one run in scoresheet delayed the start of the Indian innings against the West Indies, Rohit Sharma was snubbed for his earlier failures with the comment: “This is the longest time that Sharma has spent at the crease.”
He silenced his critics through an unbeaten 62.
When Ravichandran Ashwin dropped Chris Gayle at first slip, the call for the need of a specialist in slips position like Rahul Dravid has gained momentum. It’s no wonder then that Yuvraj is feeling the heat.
