Talented Yuvraj should be more on field: Kapil

Chandigarh, July 20 (UNI) Dropping of flamboyant Yuvraj Singh from the Indian team for the Sri Lanka tour has not surpirsed cricket icon Kapil Dev Nikhanj.

Advising that Yuvraj should work hard and should be more on the field, Kapil Dev said "even if Yuvraj does 50 per cent of the labour his father Yograj Singh had done, he will be back in the team as he is talented." Replying to a question during the Meet the Press programme at Press Club here today, Kapil Dev said "sometime one loses his balance despite being an outstanding player and that happens at this age (Yuvraj's age). However, these things will continue to come Yuvraj's way in the later stages also, he added.

" These ten years are more important for him to play cricket. He should be more on field than doing other things........", he said while giving a piece of advise to the talented left handed batsman.

However, Kapil reminded that "if a player slams a century and attends late night party, no body will mind. It is like, if a journalist has written a brilliant article but was at the late night party, people will focus on the mertis of the article rather that talking about his attending the late night party." Asked whether there was politics in selecting the Indian cricket team, Kapil Dev powerfully drove with a straight bat by saying "politics is only for those who are not selected and are sitting on the fence. Did anyone see politics in selection of M S Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar ".

"We talk about politics in selection of cases who are sitting on the edge." Asked whether Sourav Ganguly should have been in the Indian team or not, Kapil Dev said "10,000 runs and 100 Test appearances speak volumes about Ganguly's performance. Current performance should be given due importance while selecting the team." Drawing his attention on the Harbhajan-Sreesanth slapping episode during the Indian Premier League at the PCA Stadium in Mohali, Kapil said "Such a incident happened for the first time." "Tu tu main main hamare samey mein bhi hoti thi. However, when a senior player is talking, the junior player should keep mum", he said.

Blowing hot and cold against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Kapil said "it is for the BCCI to utilise the services of players. If the Board officials do not want the services of the players, what can we do. They are to be blamed for this." UNI XC HS MMS1746