Mohammad Azharuddin bats for Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina’s return to Indian side
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Mohammad Azharuddin has put his support behind Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina’s international return stating that the fitness levels of veteran players should be relaxed a little. The duo have not been considered for selection after they failed the yo-yo test before the Sri Lanka tour in August.
When India announced the team for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka in August, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, among others, failed to make the cut. A report that surfaced later suggested that the main reason behind the duo’s snub was their failure to clear the ‘Yo-Yo’ test at the National Cricket Academy. Since then the talk of the duo’s return to the National team has died down but former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin has rekindled the fire.
“I really don’t know what the Yo-Yo Test is, but as far as fitness is concerned, everyone has to be fit. If you are not fit, you don’t play. But I feel there are players (who are) almost in the twilight of their careers but still very, very good. Maybe fitness for them can be relaxed a little,” Azharuddin said in an interview with Sport360 in Dubai.
“Like for a player like Yuvraj, he has gone through so much because of his illness (cancer). I don’t think he would have passed the ‘Yo-Yo’ test. There are other players as well. I am a very big fan of Suresh Raina. I feel he should come back. I saw him one and a half months back and he has become very fit. But if the team has taken a decision, you need to back it.”
But it’s not just he Yo-Yo test that is keeping the duo out of contention as Yuvraj is not a regular in his Ranji side anymore while Raina has been struggling to put up numbers on the domestic circuit.
