Experts feel left-hander must blame himself for losing test spot and should work on his comeback rather than showing the finger to the crowd

Yuvraj Singh has himself to blame for his situation, feel experts

Experts feel left-hander must blame himself for losing test spot and should work on his comeback rather than showing the finger to the crowd

For someone as talented as Yuvraj Singh, playing just 35 Tests in eight years is nothing to be proud of.

Partly, that has to do with the fact that the famous quartet of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman didn't leave any room for the left-hander.

But since Ganguly's retirement towards the end of 2008, Yuvraj has been a regular in the side and yet has never really clamped down questions over his credibility as a Test player.

And since Suresh Raina's debut century in the last Test ensured that he was picked ahead of Yuvraj in the third Test against Sri Lanka that began yesterday, it seems he will have to wait longer to cement his place.

The 28-year-old veteran of 250 ODIs also did not do himself any good by showing the middle finger to Sri Lankan fans who called him 'Waterboy' as he was taking out drinks for teammates during a break yesterday.

"I can understand his frustration. Losing your place in the Test side can be very frustrating and I know where his anger comes from. This is not to judge what he did was right or wrong. But he is also human and sometimes it happens," said former India Test opener Chetan Chauhan.

Chauhan may sympathise with Yuvraj's reaction, but he is not so considerate when it comes to his actions over the last year.

"If he has lost his place in the Test side then he himself is to blame. He has not scored runs since a long time. He has also had so many issues with his fitness and even his technique is wanted in certain areas," Chauhan said.

"He is talented and has proved himself over the years. But he needs to apply himself more and work harder towards improving his game. He needs to get fitter as well to get his place back," Chauhan added.

Nobody would want to be in Yuvraj's shoes right now and sports psychologist Bhishmaraj Bam, who has worked with several cricketers including Rahul Dravid in the past, feels nobody but the batsman can help himself.

"Showing the finger shows that he is not able to handle the pressure and that's not a good sign. He has lost his place and sulking about it is not going to help him," the retired IG of police said.

Bam also had some words of advice for Yuvi.
"I would tell him to accept what has happened and try and work out ways that will help him make a comeback. He has to be patient and remember that he has played well in the past and if he plays like that again, nobody will be able to keep him out.

"But ultimately, it all depends on him. His lack of runs and such reaction also show that he is not completely focused. Things outside the game are bothering him. He needs to be stronger and ensure that his focus is only on the game. If he can do that, considering his talent, he will not have a problem in doing well," Bam said.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels