India's flamboyant cricketer Yuvraj Singh spoke about matchfixing, his scrapes with Flintoff, Pietersen and Umar Gul, and on Dhoni's marriage in Rajat Sharma's longest running talk show Aap Ki Adalat to be telecast on India TV on Saturday and Sunday.
On the recent matchfixing controversy involving three Pakistani cricketers, Yuvraj Singh said : “It's shameful both for the country and as an individual. People do slip when they are young, but you should keep your honesty intact. A good night's sleep is more important than money….Such youngsters should take the help of their seniors, like we used to take the help of Sachin, Dravid and Ganguly.”
Rajat Sharma queried whether he was ever approached by matchfixers, Yuvraj replied : “Nobody can ever approach me for matchfixing. My body language is so strong for my country that nobody can lay a hand on me. For me, playing for India is a matter of pride. I will never want to stain my nation's honour.”
On his involvement with film stars, Yuvraj Singh replied: “Look, everybody knows I am a young man. I do have normal feelings and if I do attract a woman it is something normal. I do not understand why people make a mountain out of a molehill to say I am dating somebody.”
Pointing towards the audience, the cricketer said: “These college boys too have girlfriends. I am also a normal young man, the only difference being - I play for the country, people know me and whenever I go out with any woman, it comes out in the newspapers”
Q: But, why film stars? A: “Because nobody recognizes a normal girl. They do not get the masala, so they add my name to a film star.”
Q: Means you have many girlfriends apart from film stars?
A: (Laughs) “No! I am not saying this. I am saying: the reason behind it.”
As Rajat Sharma read out the names of Bollywood actresses – Kim Sharma, Minnisha Lamba, Deepika Padukone, Raima Sen, Karishma Kotak, Anchal Kumar- he was reported to be involved with, the cricketer replied : “Look, we play for the country. At the moment most people in Bollywood know the cricketers and vice versa. The problem is if you meet somebody, the story comes out the very next day. I am not denying that I do not know them, but I think most these are blown out of proportion. It may be a way of selling news.”
On repeatedly hugging Preity Zinta after IPL matches, Yuvraj Singh clarified: “Preity Zinta is our team's owner, our boss. When we play well she is happy. I was captain for the last two years and this was her way of appreciating.”
On his reported statement that such hugging increased his energy level, Yuvraj replied: “There is nothing wrong in it. In joyful moments, such things do energize. ..However when too many stories came out, she came and tied a raakhi to me”.
On his reported statement that Deepika Padukone broke his heart and that he was serious, the cricketer replied: “I never said this. There was no such statement of mine.”
Yuvraj Singh ruled out working in any Swayamvar reality show, saying: “ I don't think I can do a Swayamvar. To meet somebody and then marry her is not my way. To find out a life partner and then live the whole life with her is a very big step. It's unfortunate I haven't found such a partner so far with whom I could spend my life. There could be shortcomings in my behaviour. I will marry a woman, the day I am certain that I would spend my life with her”.
Q: Do you get emotionally upset often?
A: I am emotional but I never show my emotions. I have learned many a lesson in life. I now keep my emotions in check.
On his present form in cricket, Yuvraj was candid. He said: “I had too many injuries during the last one year. After the knee injury, there was this wrist injury. There were three other fractures. For the last 10 years there have been ups and downs in my form just as in life. But there is no dearth of effort on my part. I think if I am off-form know, it will improve very soon.”
On a former cricketer's advice that he should change his style, Yuvraj Singh said: “I listen to everybody, but I do my own way. I was told to leave my attacking frame of mind and my aggressive tone. If I leave my aggressive tone and attacking form, I don't think I would be successful in cricket.”
“In cricket”, he said, “the success rate for a batsman or a bowler is less than 50 per cent. I don't think there is a batsman at the moment who can take runs in every match except some exceptional batsmen like Sachin and Ponting”.
On his world record six sixers in a World Cup Twenty20 over, Yuvraj revealed how he had a verbal scrape with Flintoff. “The verbal battle brought aggression to my body, particularly when one was playing for his country. I got a revenge-like feeling to show him that I can play. Naturally when I took the six sixers, hisaab barabar ho gaya bilkul (I repaid him in full).”
Yuvraj Singh revealed how he and his teammates once fooled Sourav Ganguly on April Fools Day. “But Anil Kumble was a captain with a fiery temper. If we made mistakes when he bowled, he used to fire us.”
“And the most naughty teammate was Sachin Tendulkar. Though he never shows it.”
On Shah Rukh Khan's remark that Yuvraj was a Casanova for girls during IPL matches, the cricketer replied laughingly: “SRK is an actor. He gets paid for what to speak. I think somebody must have given money to say this, but the remark is not correct.”
On why he and other cricketers were not invited to Dhoni's wedding, Yuvraj said: “Ask him. Whenever we cricketers ask him, he scoots. Says, he has to go to a press conference, he has to go to nets. One of these days, we the 11 cricketers will get hold of him. And I am not going to invite him to my wedding. One week before his wedding, he asked me why don't you get married because I want to dance at your wedding. I told him, who would invite you to dance at a wedding.”
About Dhoni's wife Sakshi, Yuvraj Singh said: “Sakshi is a sweet, young and vibrant girl unlike the calm and quiet Dhoni. She is just the opposite of Dhoni.”
Do not miss Yuvraj Singh in Rajat Sharma's Aap Ki Adalat on India TV on Saturday (Sept 18) at 10 PM and on Sunday (Sept 19) at 10 AM and 10 PM.
