Just can’t wait to get on to the field, says Yuvraj

Mumbai: Yuvraj Singh, who is likely to stage a comeback to international cricket on Saturday in Visakhapatnam after recovering from a rare germ cell cancer, said that he was counting the hours daily on his impending return.

“It is going to be a huge moment in my life. I can’t wait for 8th (September) to come in. Everyday I put up status message, counting the number of days left…"

“So two-three days, some hours to go... I just can’t wait to get on to the field. I can’t wait for the excitement, to get on the field and bat,” he said at a promotional here on Wednesday.

Within months of his recovery from his illness, Yuvraj was included in the Indian team for the World Twenty20 Championship in Sri Lanka as well as the two T20s against New Zealand.

“It is this environment that I am used to... That is something that I have been doing since the age of 15... since I was a kid. So when that was taken away from me I was shocked. It is like when a child gets his first Christmas gift and is waiting to open it… eager to know what is in store...it is like that,” the Man of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup, said.

However, Yuvraj was non-committal on how well he would perform in his comeback match.

“I don’t know how I will play. I don’t know if I would be making one run or 20 runs, take a catch or take a wicket. Whenever I climbed four steps, I used to get breathless. When I was like this, I felt it was not going to be possible. It was tough. But I worked very hard. I practised hard at the National Cricket Academy."

“For me, it is an achievement that I am back on the field. I don’t know how I am going to play on 8th. All I know is that to get on the field is a huge achievement for me. I feel very proud of myself. I am thankful to my family, friends and people of India for showering so much love on me. With all these emotions I will take the field,” he added.

The left-hander underwent treatment in the United States in January this year, involving three sessions of chemotherapy, and returned to India in April, after successfully battling cancer.

When Yuvraj was diagnosed with cancer, cricket was the only motivating factor for him.

“The aim was to save my life. Cricket is my life. When I was battling cancer, I thought if I came out of this, I would definitely play for India. And that kept motivating me... I used to watch matches where India were playing. I also used to get frustrated,” he said.

“But one day, Anil Kumble came and said I must stop watching all these things and improve my health, try and get better. People’s influence was important to me,” he added.

Yuvraj’s return and fighting spirit has drawn allround praise, including his former captain Sourav Ganguly.

“He will play a couple of matches against New Zealand and we should be able to know about his fitness then. Personally, I will not say that I am not worried about his health. But, it's a great thing that he has recovered so well from cancer.”