Not getting a farewell match doesn’t diminish Yuvraj’s feats, feels Sourav Ganguly

Yuvraj Singh after a career that spanned almost two decades announced retirement from all forms of cricket on June 10 having last played in the India colours in June 2017. It was revealed that Yuvraj was offered a retirement match but he wasn’t willing to take that. While the topic is still being discussed widely, a fan asked former India captain Sourav Ganguly, under whom Yuvraj had made his debut in 2000, whether he believed that the latter indeed deserved a farewell match.

Yuvraj is one of those few players who Ganguly had backed with all his might went on to be a crucial member of the World Cup winning Indian squad in 2011. The player of the series of the 2011 edition of the mega event, Yuvraj had always been one of Ganguly’s favourites. The former skipper feels that not getting a farewell match will not diminish the achievements Yuvraj has made over the years. Despite diagnosed with cancer, Yuvi made a comeback to the cricket field in the mid-2010s and went on to play again for India.

Don’t believe in retirement matches

“I don’t think so [deserves a retirement match]. I don’t believe in these retirement matches. If it falls in the course of your continuation as a player… of you being a part of the team… part of a normal system of Test or ODI… then fine,” Ganguly was quoted as saying on a Facebook Live for ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

“Whatever he has achieved as a player will not go down if he doesn’t get a farewell match. I don’t believe in it. He’s been a terrific player… a match winner. He should be very proud of what he has achieved.”

Fans urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to arrange for a farewell game for Yuvraj after he made the announcement. The 37-year-old played 304 ODIs for India scoring over 8,000 runs and taking more than 100 wickets. He played his last game for India in June 2017.

Yuvraj himself said on Monday that he was promised a farewell match if he had failed a yo-yo test in 2017.

“I didn’t tell anyone in BCCI that I want a farewell game. If I had the potential, I would have left from the ground. I didn’t need a match. I was told that if I failed a Yo-Yo test then I can play a retirement match. I told them I don’t need the game, if I don’t pass the Yo-Yo test, I’ll go home quietly. I passed the Yo-Yo Test and rest is not my call,” Yuvi said.