Why the selectors are wrong to recall Yuvraj to the ODI squad

Being a fan of his batting for many years, it was great for me to see Yuvraj Singh, India's hero of 2007 and 2011 World Cups, back in the Indian national team after winning a battle against life-threatening cancer in late 2012. Though India lost that match against New Zealand, the crowd in Chennai had cheered every single run he scored in his innings of 34 runs from 26 balls. From the hunger in his eyes, it was evident that he wanted to continue being India's match-winner, and everyone thought it would be a story of a phoenix rising from the ashes.

The major point made by chief selector MSK Prasad was Yuvraj's recent domestic form. “We should appreciate the way Yuvi has played in domestic cricket. He played some fantastic innings, he got a double hundred, he got 180 in the Lahli wicket. We appreciate it and have given him a chance,” Prasad explained the selection. 

To his credit, the left-hander has scored 672 runs in just five matches for Punjab at a staggering average of 84.  Agreed, that it is not easy for a batsman to score 177 on a tough wicket such as Lahli, and scoring his highest score of 260 in domestic cricket against Baroda is also commendable. Even in his final innings for Punjab this season, Yuvraj scored a determined 85 at Hyderabad which helped his team in beating Uttar Pradesh. It would be unfair not to laud his determination and never-give-up attitude, but should and can he warrant a continued role in the side?

It is three years since Yuvraj last played in an ODI match for India. And since his comeback on December 30, 2012 against Pakistan, the middle-order batsman has scored just 278 runs in 19 ODI games at an average of 18.53. These include just two fifties, 4 single-digit scores and four ducks. Owing to these performances, it isn't a surprise that he was repeatedly snubbed a place in the ODI team.

However, he has featured in the Indian T20 side regularly having played 32 games including two World T20s in 2014 and 2016 recording an average close to 30. While his vast experience as a T20 specialist makes him a useful player to have in the shortest format, Yuvraj still remains a liability in 50-overs cricket for numerous reasons. 

MS Dhoni, now free of the captaincy pressure, will mostly likely feature in the No.4 position forcing Yuvraj to come in at positions that have been unfamiliar to him for a long time. With Ajinkya Rahane's place cemented in the Indian middle-order, Yuvraj's place might mostly be at No.6 which comes with an added responsibility to start hitting from the first ball. For people who have seen him play over the years, it is a known fact that Yuvi is not a perfect fit for the pinch-hitter's role.

But the biggest question is around Yuvi's age. At 35 years, how many years can we expect him to contribute at the highest level? Is it so hard for the selectors to find young talent on the domestic scene that it made them turn towards Yuvraj?

By the time the next World Cup commences in 2019, Yuvraj will be 38-years old. Despite all his heroics in the previous World Cups, it will be hard for anyone to imagine him playing in the tournament. If someone as good as Sourav Ganguly can be axed for the long-term greater good when he was 34-years old and among the world's top-5 runscorers in 2007, isn't it fair to, with a heavy heart, say No to Yuvraj and give an early chance to the younger generation of players?