Play the situation, don’t get bogged by expectations: Yuvraj Singh tells women cricketers ahead of ODI World Cup
Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Been there, done that, former India star Yuvraj Singh has one advice for the Indian Women’s cricket team that is hoping to end their trophy drought in ICC events in the upcoming ICC Women’s ODI World Cup starting on September 30.
Play the situation and don’t get bogged down by the huge expectations from the fans who would want them to win their maiden ICC World Cup at home. India had twice reached the ODI World Cup final but ended runners-up on both occasions.
The Indian women’s cricket team will start as favourites to win the title, hoping to capitalise on the groundswell of support following their second-place finish in the 2017 edition in England.
Yuvraj, who was the Player of the Tournament when India won the men’s ODI World Cup at home in 2011, dispensed with his advice to the players at an event got by the International Cricket Council (ICC) here on Monday to mark the 50-day countdown for the World Cup starting on September 30
He said each player will have to individually believe that she can win matches on their own.and not think the next player will do it.
“(I would say) play the situation and not the expectation and be in the moment,” said Yuvraj, who also played a key role in India’s triumph in the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa.
“It’s a great opportunity to create history. But that doesn’t mean that from the start point you are thinking of winning it. You have to experience the whole enigma of it. You have to feel that you have put in the process and results will come,” said Yuvraj, who played a key role in India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup in 3007.
“But if you want to win the World Cup, you will be in pressure, things won’t go well and that’s when experience and self-belief has to take over. You have to believe that you want to win the game for your country (on) that day,” added Yuvraj.
He also said that each will have to shoulder the responsibility of winning the match.
“You can’t think that Harman will do it or Smriti will or Jemimah will do it. You have to believe that you can win each match on your own,” said Yuvraj.
Former captain of the women’s cricket team, Mithali Raj also told the players to give their 100 percent in the tournament. She said the players will have to take heart from crowd support and not succumb to the expectations.
She also acknowledged the impact of India’s runner-up finish in 2017 World Cup and said it has changed the landscape of women’s cricket.
PThe 2017 World Cup actually transformed women’s cricket not just in India but globally I would say, because social media was relatively new (and) the ICC did their part in promoting and campaigning on a larger scale,” she said.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said they believe that the 2025 World Cup will be the springboard for women’s cricket to take the big leap.
“There is a larger picture here which has to do with what this means to the country. The growth of women’s cricket in many ways is a reflection of the country’s progress,” said Gupta.
“It normalises women occupying spaces which were traditionally occupied by men. It normalises women being outdoors. It also creates an opportunity for both men and women to come out and support Team India, not just the men in blue but the women in blue.”
“In every sense, the growth of women’s cricket over the last eight years has brought up to this moment where it is time for women’s cricket to take the next leap. This World Cup,” he said.
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