Yuvraj Singh, widely credited with helping the growth of Abhishek Sharma, says he has consciously avoided team coaching and focused on individual training for two reasons – one, to spend time with his family, and two, because he prefers more one-on-one training.
The brand ambassador and face of Canada Super 60, which begins in Vancouver later this month, says he wants to package the six-team, 24-match T10 competition to suit the fast and short sports that are popular in North America. Excerpts…
What is Canada Super 60 is all about?
I intend to encourage more cricket in other parts of the world. Canada and Vancouver are a great place for sports. It’s a great city for tourism. And I think the opportunity that we have over there is to package cricket in a different way, which is the T10.
What is special about your tournament?
It’s pretty much how Americans package sport. I thought that was a great way to package cricket in a busy place like Vancouver. And I think it’s a shorter format. It’s fast. We play three games a day. It’s quick. And as cricket is evolving in T20 and I think Super 60 is probably another shorter format of that. And I think players are really enjoying it.
Is T10 a shorter version of T20 or there is more to it?
I think it’s a format which is not in too many places, and it’s something new that we are trying. We have got a very good response in the first year. My concern is that the sport has to be played in a good spirit, in the right manner.
And I think that’s what I really focus on. Corruption cannot come into the game. That is my first priority to get into any league. And that is what we emphasised on when we started T10. And I think we didn’t have any issues in the first year. And the second year, I want the game to be played in the best of spirit.
People should enjoy the game. I would urge the locals to come and watch the game. There are a lot of Punjabi people there who love the game. And yeah, I think when you start a new sport in a country, you always want to watch it. So I think whoever the locals are over there, I would like them to get their local friends and watch the game. Lots of singers are going to be participating.
So we are basically trying to make it more of a sport with carnival and music, so that people can enjoy both sport and music together. That’s our concept.
How can you make it attractive to North American audiences?
T20 obviously is a great format of its own. We are just trying to create a format which is a bit different and which is shorter. Because I think America and Canada, if you look at their sport – basketball, ice hockey, American football – they are very fast, shorter formats. The sport finishes between one and two hours. So that’s what we are trying to create. Short and sharp. And more dynamic. So it’s more fun for people to watch. Because people are working, and for them to come and watch an hour-and-a-half game should be fun.
Cricket is not big in that part of the world.
I feel that if you have to grow cricket in America and Canada, especially in BC, players – I feel that opportunity should be there for kids. I feel people who are living outside India, from India, don’t have an opportunity to play because there is less cricket. So when the kids grow up, they should also have a platform to play cricket.
A lot of parents talk to me, ‘We want my kid to play cricket. I want to come back to India.’ So I tell them, ‘Why do you want to come back and play here? You can try another sport if you are living in America or Canada.’
And now that these leagues like Canada Super 60 are taking place, tomorrow if the league becomes big, they can be part of the bigger picture. So they don’t have to move countries to come and play in another country. So that’s the point of growing cricket around the world, especially in Canada and America.
Is it approved by the ICC?
Eventually we would want the ICC to approve the league. But obviously, they have to see that we are playing the game in the best of spirit and that there is no corruption in the league. Which was my first thought about playing in any league. So if we get to that, it will be a huge win for us.
Zaheer Khan has joined you in the league. What is the partnership all about?
Yes. My dear friend has joined Vancouver, as he is, I think, the director of the franchise. So it’s great to have another cricketing legend part of the league. I think what happens with that is people start taking the league seriously, that this league is here to stay. And I am there now.
Zaheer’s name is attached to the Vancouver team. So now people will start taking us seriously. And hopefully bigger names can get attached. And the league becomes better, and the players have a career in that league.
Most of your contemporaries have taken up coaching but you have only been seen coaching individuals. Any reason?
My kids were growing up. So I took a bit of time off. And whatever time I could spend, I spent on my state guys. So I want my state cricket to improve. I want my players to improve. So that was the whole point – giving back what the game has given me.
And I enjoy working one-on-one with younger guys. Because I feel that, you know, when you are playing domestic and you want to get into IPL teams or international teams, there is a lot of confusion around your game. I have gone through those stages of confusion.
So, you know, help them more with their mindset. You know, talking to them. I feel there is a time when players fail when they come to international cricket. I feel a lot of emphasis has gone into talking to them about, “Do this and do that. Why are you failing?” But I feel that the important thing is that we are not talking to the guys and understanding what their mindset is. What do they think about the game? Because I think I also, at some stage, felt that I also needed to talk to someone.
And in that area, when I started to talk to Sachin (Tendulkar), I felt there were a lot of confusions that he could, you know, give me clarity on. And yeah, that’s what I try to do – talk to guys and understand mentally how they are feeling, and get the best out of them.
Any plans to be associated with the Indian team going forward?
I think at the moment, I am happy where I am. And, you know, I get some family time. And I get to spend some time with my state boys.