Former India star all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has advocated the need for the country to have a players’ association in light of Glenn Maxwell’s indefinite break from cricket.
The Australian recently announced that he was walking away from the game for a brief period, in order to focus on mental health issues. India and arch-rivals Pakistan are the only two countries in the world of cricket to not have an active players’ association for cricketers.
The BCCI did recently give its stamp of approval to the Indian Cricketers’ Association but that body is only meant to serve the purposes of retired players. No body exists in India currently to listen to the grievances of active players and Yuvraj feels that this is a very big drawback.
“What I would like to see is a players’ association coming up because I think the player’s voice was never heard before,” the southpaw was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India (PTI).
“So I think a players’ association that all other countries have, we should also have. We deserve it because there are a lot of times we have been asked to play cricket that we don’t want to. We have to play with the pressure that if we don’t play we will be thrown out.”
With former India skipper Sourav Ganguly taking over as the new president of the BCCI, Yuvraj is hopeful that things can change for the better in regards to the treatment of players. An independent cricketers’ association is a must, though, for Yuvraj.
Newly elected BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.
“That pressure has to go off the players that even if they are tired or fatigued or carrying injuries, they have to play,” he said.
“That support should be given to the players. We see outside India if the players are fatigued and tired mentally, like is the case with Maxwell, he has taken a break because he is feeling it. Our players can’t do that because they fear they may lose their place.
“The current players need more support. Somebody has to stand up and give them the players’ association. I don’t know who’s going to do that, but definitely that’s something I would like to see happening for the players. Every voice should be heard in players’ association, not only captain or vice-captain or senior players. Every player should be asked about their opinions.”
The 37-year-old former India was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 which he beat before making a return to the Indian team in 2012. The Chandigarh-born man was instrumental with both bat and ball in India’s 2011 World Cup win on home soil, and was awarded as the player of the tournament for his performances.
Yuvraj will be in action in the UAE later this month after he was roped in as an icon player by Abu Dhabi T10 League outfit Maratha Arabians. The 10-over format tournament is slated to take place from November 15 to 24 at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
