NEW DELHI: World Cup-winning all-rounder Yuvraj Singh candidly opened up about the reasons behind his decision to retire from cricket in 2019 after not being picked in the World Cup squad.
The former star revealed that there were moments when he even lost the motivation to represent India at the international level. Yuvraj shared his personal struggles during an appearance on Sania Mirza's YouTube show, Serving it Up with Sania.
The decision brought to a close a long and emotional journey in the game Yuvraj had loved since childhood. He revealed that a perceived lack of respect and support from those around him was a significant factor behind his choice to retire.
"I was not enjoying my game. I had a feeling that why am I playing cricket when I'm not enjoying it? I was not feeling supported. I was not feeling respected. And I felt, why do I need to do this when I don't have this? Why am I lingering on to something that I'm not enjoying? Why do I need to play? To prove what? I can't do more than this, mentally or physically, and it was hurting me. And the day I stopped, I was myself again," Yuvraj said.
Yuvraj also reflected on an earlier period in his career when his abilities were questioned and his talent came under scrutiny.
"Now, when I look back at it, I just think he didn't have the time to have a proper look at me. He was just like being nice to my dad. Then obviously, he was playing for India at that time, so he probably would have said that. I was 13-14 at that time, just figuring out a sport. I don't take it personally, but my father took it personally," he said.
Yuvraj made his international debut for India in 2000 and went on to enjoy a remarkable 18-year career. He represented the country in 40 Tests, 304 ODIs, and 58 T20Is, scoring 1,900, 8,701, and 1,177 runs respectively. Over the course of his illustrious career, he registered 17 centuries and 71 half-centuries across formats.
