Whoever said one must guard against success going to one’s head, certainly did not mean Yuvraj Singh in particular, but the Yuvraj type. The world unfortunately has to tolerate more than its share of this type.

What this player does not realise is everybody is aware of his wonderful ability as a batsman and expects him to come good in the longer version of the game. He has not exactly set the River Indus (coming as he does from that part of the country) on fire, but one gets the feeling that he is quick to take offence even when it is a joke at his expense. He clearly lacks a sense of humour.

England captain Kevin Pietersen’s remark about Yuvraj’s left-arm slow bowling as being the equivalent of ‘pie-chucking’ might not be complimentary, but was said in jest. Maybe Pietersen cannot explain to himself why he has got out to Yuvraj’s gentle bowling as many as five times.

One remembers way back in 1971 when Geoffrey Boycott fell prey to Eknath Solkar’s gentle left-arm seam bowling and cursed himself every time. These aberrations are a part of the game and contribute to its novelty. And it is important for players to see the funny side of these.

Yuvraj’s bowling is no great shakes and if his skipper, M. S. Dhoni, finds in it a surprise element, especially for Pietersen, one has to laud the Ranchi man for being a sort of mind-reader. The skipper seems to be an expert at mind games. But for Yuvraj to go on record saying about the term pie-chucker, ‘I learnt that it means a useless kind of bowler. It shows KP hates getting out to me. So, well, a useless bowler getting him out many times would be because of useless batting I’d say. But that’s okay.” Someone remarked at the press conference in Mohali that it seemed Yuvraj was reading from a script probably written by his captain.

Of course, later, Yuvraj later described Pietersen as a phenomenal batsman. But those who know Yuvraj put it down to one more instance of him shooting his mouth off. Can you imagine the embarrassment he might be if he ever is asked to lead the country? And he hopes to!