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Former India head coach Gary Kirsten has revealed that Yuvraj Singh wasn't guaranteed a place in India's squad for ODI World Cup 2011. There was doubt amongst selectors regarding Yuvraj but Kirsten and captain MS Dhoni backed him for the mega event which eventually paid off.
"Thank goodness we picked him because it was flipping close, he was. It was not a slam dunk selection. The selectors kind of debated around the 15 players. I was very keen to have him in the team as was Dhoni because of the experience that he brought to the group. And look at the World Cup he ended up having," Kirsten said on Rediff.
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Kirsten recalled getting frustrated by Yuvraj at times and how mental conditioning and strategic leadership coach, Paddy Upton helped him prepare for the mega event.
"I was always very fond of Yuvraj. We had this kind of great relationship where like, he used to frustrate the hell out of me sometimes, but I just loved him. He was good. I just want him to be scoring runs all the time because when I watch him bat, it's just like amazing to watch. But there was a journey he had to walk and credit to Paddy.
"Paddy did a lot of work with Yuvi to get him ready for that World Cup. Yuvi himself made some key decisions around getting himself prepared and ready for the World Cup," the former South African opener added.
Yuvraj's numbers in World Cup 2011
Yuvraj went on to score 362 runs and earn 15 scalps, making him the 'Player of the tournament' despite suffering from cancer. He scored fifties against England, Ireland and Netherlands in Group Stage. His best performance with the bat came against West Indies when he scored 113 and then took a couple of wickets. In the quarterfinal, he took a couple of wickets as well and then scored an unbeaten fifty in the run chase. The left-arm spinner was impressive with the ball in the semifinal against Pakistan and final against Sri Lanka as well.
Yuvraj to defend WCL title
Yuvraj will be seen in action next during the World Championship of Legends. The defending champions led by Yuvraj will begin their campaign against AB de Villiers-led South Africa Champions at County Ground, Northampton on July 22.
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