Shahid Afridi congratulates Yuvraj Singh on his retirement

Ace Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh decided to hang up his boots on Monday after a long career as he thought of moving on. The 37-year-old left-arm cricketer announced his decision to quit the game in a press conference in Mumbai, leaving several fans stunned and shocked. Though the man had last played for the country in June 2017 and was far away from his vintage self, yet the name Yuvraj Singh has been so intrinsically involved with Indian cricket that his exit was too disappointing a news for many.

Having made his debut against Kenya in Nairobi in 2000, Yuvraj came to the party with the bat in the very second match he had played which was against Australia. The southpaw scored 84 off 80 to win the game for India and bag the man of the match award. Since then till 2017, Yuvraj played 304 ODIs, scoring over 8,700 runs and taking over 100 wickets. He had seen high and low points in his career but never fell short of fulfilling his potential.

Afridi calls Yuvraj an ‘amazing batsman’

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi also praised Yuvraj after the latter’s retirement call became public. In a tweet, Afridi hailed the batting all-rounder over a “fantastic career” and called him an “amazing batsman” and a “brilliant fielder with big match temperament”. He also lauded Yuvraj, who overcame a battle with cancer to return to the field, for his fighting ability.

Congratulations on a fantastic career @YUVSTRONG12 You were an amazing batsman and a brilliant fielder with big match temperament. Your fighting ability is very inspiring, we spent great time together. All the very best in your life ahead. https://t.co/2wLMtHJGT4

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) June 10, 2019

During their playing days, however, Afridi and Yuvraj had their moments of clashes. In 2011, after India defeated Afridi’s Pakistan in the semi-final of the World Cup and then Sri Lanka in the final. Afridi was accused of saying that Indians do not have “big clean hearts” like the Pakistani Muslims and Yuvraj, besides Harbhajan Singh, who was also in the 2011 squad, lashed out at him.

Yuvraj had even mocked Afridi’s statement saying that Pakistanis have a large heart was evident in the fact that they had dropped so many catches in the semi-final and allowed India to go to the final. Yuvraj was adjudged the man of the tournament of that World Cup.