Yuvraj's relationship with his father has been far from perfect but the all-rounder said he had managed to "achieve a closure" with him.
A video published on Facebook shows the father-son duo holding hands and talking about the bitter-sweet moments of Yuvraj’s shaping from a budding player to a cricket legend.
Yograj, who has played one Test and 6 ODIs for India, never allowed Yuvraj to play any other sport than cricket, not even skating in which Yuvraj became the state champion as a child.
The southpaw had mixed emotions after he announced his retirement - “Cricket has given me everything I have and is the reason why I stand here today. It was such a love-hate relationship with the sport. In retrospect, I don’t think I hated this game because the love I have for it today which will remain constant until the end of life.”
"I have decided to move on," he said at a press briefing in Mumbai.
Yuvraj Singh announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday (Photo courtesy - Endemol Shine India). Source: Photo courtesy Endemol Shine India
‘His career was affected by politics in cricket’
As one of the most feared and explosive cricketers Yuvraj brought the curtains down on his decorated cricket career during which he scored over 11,000 international runs from 304 ODIs, 40 Tests, and 58 T20s.
His blasting capabilities were truly shown in the in T20 format - wherein he headlined India's 2007 World Cup victory hitting six consecutive sixes off English bowler Stuart Broad’s over.
Yuvraj’s father and first cricket coach Yograj Singh has frequently alleged that his son’s cricketing career was affected by the politics in the Indian cricket team.
He often made ‘blunt’ allegations against Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni that put his cricketer son in an odd situation.
Yograj Singh often criticised selection committees whenever Yuvraj Singh was not included in the Indian Cricket Team. Source: Supplied
Yuvraj Singh’s expulsion from 2015 Cricket World Cup
In an interview in 2015*, Yograj Singh told SBS Punjabi that he was unhappy after Yuvraj's exclusion from the Indian squad for the Cricket World Cup.
“Politics in cricket affected Yuvi's career. He also got discriminated because he’s is my son,” he said.
“He didn’t deserve this blunt expulsion from the Indian cricket team. But sadly, it happened both on and off the cricket field.”
Yuvraj was adjudged Man of the Tournament in the 2011 Cricket World Cup won by India. But during the 2015 team selection, Stuart Binny, Ravindra Jadeja and Akshar Patel were preferred ahead of Yuvraj.
Yograj himself had an ambitious past and he always wanted to prove his iron in the cricket field.
Yograj never allowed Yuvraj to play any other sport other than cricket, not even skating which was once Yuvraj’s favourite sport when he was young. Source: Endemol Shine India
But he alleges that his cricketing career was ruined due to politics and ‘jealousy’ by his fellow team members and the selection committees.
“I was an outstanding athlete when I was a student at St John’s school. But It was my bad luck to play cricket later when I turned young,” he said.
“I got to be friends with Kapil Dev. I was playing good cricket. But I was thrown out of cricket for no obvious reasons. I don’t want to talk about it now. But I will make it as an open account after Yuvi retires*.”
Yograj said that he felt insulted after his expulsion from the cricket team.
“I requested God to get me out of this misery,” he said. “I couldn’t accept defeat so I requested God to give me the courage to face it. And then Yuvraj was born and here we’re today.”
“I wanted to prove it to Kapil Dev … It was our destiny and now the whole world knows who we’re and what we’ve achieved.”
Yuvraj's relationship with his 'dragon like' father Yograj had many bitter-sweet moments. Source: Endemol Shine India
‘A very grateful and a proud father’
Yograj said that he is very grateful and proud to be Yuvraj’s father.
“Yuvi is a true legend, a champion of champions. He has won hearts with his courage and indomitable spirit and has made us feel proud,” he said.
“He battled cancer, recovered well before having an outstanding Ranji trophy performance. Any selection committee would have picked him in the dream cricket team but it was not his luck to play for India in the World cup.”
Yograj also plans to make a movie on Yuvraj’s life showing him as a cricketing hero.
“Legends like him are not yours only but God’s gift to this whole world…. They have a bigger destiny than being just your offspring,” he said.
Meanwhile, Yuvraj Singh on Monday said that he is now at ‘good terms’ with his ‘dragon figure’ father who was harsh, strict and often ‘unreasonable’ on and off the cricket field.
“He's always been like a dragon to me and just facing the dragon was a very difficult task for me," he said after announcing his retirement.
*SBS interview with Yograj Singh was recorded just before the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
