'Sachin Tendulkar, Gary Kirsten told us go back to your room with...': Yuvraj Singh on 'backlash' during 2011 World Cup

The Women's World Cup is around the corner. The 50-over format tournament will be played in September-November this year in India and Sri Lanka. The competition will begin on September 30 with the opening match between the two hosts in Bengaluru. There are just 49 days remaining for the premier women's tournament to start, and ahead of India's opening fixture, Yuvraj Singh had a special message for the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side, as he advised them to block the outside noise and unlock their full potential. Yuvraj Singh scored 362 runs and picked 15 wickets in the 2011 World Cup. (AFP)

The former India all-rounder shared his own experiences as he narrated a never-heard-before tale from the 2011 World Cup, which India won by beating Sri Lanka in the final.

Yuvraj revealed that there was immense pressure on MS Dhoni and co after India faced a defeat against South Africa in the group stage in Nagpur. Prior to this result, the hosts also witnessed a tied game against England in Bengaluru.

The former India all-rounder, who played the 2011 World Cup while battling cancer, revealed Sachin Tendulkar and the then head coach, Gary Kirsten, came up with a plan of not watching news on television, as there was huge backlash after India's defeat against the Proteas, led by Graeme Smith.

“I will give you an example of what we felt at that time. Until then, no country had won the World Cup at home, and it had been 28 years since we won a World Cup. I remember we tied the game against England and we lost to South Africa, from a winning position. We got a lot of backlash,” Yuvraj said at an event in Mumbai on Monday.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli asked, 'How will you keep yourself motivated?': 'Should have said we won't play ODIs, T20Is'

"I remember Sachin Tendulkar and coach Gary Kirsten coming and having a chat with us – ‘From here on what are the things we need to do to win the tournament – no one is going to watch TV; no one is going to read the newspaper; when you walk towards the ground put your headphones on, to focus on the field. While going back to your room, put your headphones back on. Cut the noise and try to do what you need to do to win the tournament,” he added.

‘Be in the moment’

Yuvraj, who was the Player of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup, advised Harmanpreet Kaur's India to stay in the moment and focus on the task at hand.

The Indian women's team famously reached the final of the 2017 ODI World Cup, only to fall short against England at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground. In the 2022 World Cup, Mithali Raj's India failed to make it to the semi-finals after being knocked out in the group stage.

“It’s about ‘being in the moment, and let’s try to do this as a team’. We did that and it worked. I am not saying it is going to work for you as well. I am just saying that the team has to focus on something which makes everyone believe that ‘if we do this, it might work for us',” said Yuvraj.

“Every time you walk into a game you have to believe you want to win the game for your country. If Smriti gets out, then Harman has to say I am going to shine, if Harman gets out then she should believe that Jemimah is there. You have got to believe as a team, every time I walk out to bowl or bat I am the person who is going to make the difference. If all 11 believe that, then the results will follow,” he added.

Click here to read article