Injuries like Yuvraj's don't leave a mere scar

Injuries like the ones Yuvraj Singh has suffered don't leave a mere scar. There's a tale to every crack

Injuries like the ones Yuvraj Singh has suffered don't leave a mere scar. There's a tale to every crack

APART from his brilliant batsmanship, Yuvraj Singh also excels in handing out nicknames to his teammates. It was recently revealed that he 'christened' Sachin Tendulkar grandfather.

Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh, who has been advised rest for the next two matches of the ODI series against Sri Lanka after aggravating a finger injury. PIC/atul kamble

Well, if he suffers another finger injury, there is one nickname that the team can give him Poppadum Fingers
Nasser Hussain, the former England batsman turned commentator was known as Poppadum Fingers after his constant finger/thumb injuries which cost him a few Tests (3rd Test v New Zealand at Old Trafford in 1999, 2nd Test v West Indies at Lord's in 2000, 2nd Test v Pakistan at Old Trafford in 2001 and the 2nd and 3rd Tests v Australia at Lord's and Trent Bridge in 2001).

A fractured finger kept Yuvraj out of the 2009 Champions Trophy in South Africa, so he could well be on his way to acquire Hussain's nickname. The southpaw will miss the remaining two one-dayers against Sri Lanka in Kolkata and New Delhi.

Tendulkar's pain & gain
Yuvraj's teammate Tendulkar too has had his share of finger worries. His 673 runs in 11 matches won him the Player of the Tournament award at the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. In a chat with MiD DAY after that event, he revealed that he played the World Cup through the pain.

The finger injury erupted during the Kolkata Test against the West Indies in 2002-03. "I just couldn't catch the ball u00e2u0080u0094 it was so bad. So we tried painkillers. But the pain would not subside.

"Then came temporary relief but the pain reappeared at the World Cup. After batting in the nets or in a match, I couldn't straighten the finger," he said. By April 2003, Tendulkar had to undergo surgery on his hand in the United States.

Bapu's left is not right
Finger injuries leave more than a mark as former India spinner Bapu Nadkarni will vouch for since his fingers on his left hand have an amazing look about them his first and third fingers are damaged thanks to lion-hearted efforts on the field in Tests for India against Australia and England as well as for Associated Cement Companies in the Times Shield just before embarking on the 1967-68 tour of Australia.

Budhi's crooked fingersu00a0
Budhi Kunderan, the former India stumper's right hand was left disfigured due to constant beating his fingers took while he did duty behind the stumps. Kunderan died of cancer a few years ago. His crooked fingers could be attributed to the poor quality protection in those days.

In an interview to SUNDAY MiD DAY (February, 2004), he said that he didn't have a good pair of gloves to keep wicket for India in the 1959-60 series against Australia. Fellow wicketkeepers couldn't oblige him with quality gloves. He found a willing benefactor in Naren Tamhane, the very man who he had replaced in the team. "Naren felt sorry for me and let me borrow his old practice gloves. Those were the best gloves I ever had," Kunderan said.

David broke them all
Injuries are no fun, but the story of David Morrison is a funny one. The league wicketkeeper has broken each and every finger and thumb despite good, modern-day protection. "The end result does not make for an attractive picture, and his crooked digits certainly rule out a future career as a glove salesman, but let us admire the man's blind courage and determination. Far too often the modern cricketer is wrapped in (sponsored) cotton wool, metaphorically and otherwise, when the most effective treatment is a frozen bag of supermarket peas," reported Cricinfo in 2007.

Warne's spinning finger
Contemporary Australian players, spinner Nathan Hauritz and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin have experienced serious finger injuries too and so has Sultan of Spin Shane Warne. Much has been spoken about Warne's exploits despite undergoing shoulder surgery but the brilliant blonde also went under the knife for his spinning finger.

Warne has proved to the world that finger surgery is not the end of the world. In his 2005 interaction with the spin great, journalist Peter English highlighted that Warne took 268 wickets in 46 Tests after recovering from the finger surgery in 2001.

Not for nothing, he is known as the Great Shane!