Temujin Khaghan Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Yuvraj Singh may disappointed that he has been dropped from the Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour but the left-hander has reasons to smile: Pakistan's great Hanif Mohammad has compared Yuvraj with none other than the West Indies legend Gary Sobers. Hanif compared Yuvraj's style of play with the former West Indies captain and all-rounder. Cricket's original little master Hanif said he was a big fan of Sobers. When he saw Yuvraj hit six sixes in an over off England's Stuart Broad in the Twenty20 World Championship, flashes of the West Indian legend sparked in his mind. Sobers is among the few cricketers who has hit six sixes in an over in a first class match. 'I saw him (Yuvraj) hitting those six sixes against England. For a moment, I thought that Sobers was batting,' Hanif told ESPN. The 71-year-old former Pakistan captain said that he loves to watch Yuvraj bat. 'He is so talented. His (Yuvraj) approach to a delivery, his adjustment to the ball reminds me of Sobers. I am a great fan of Sobers and Yuvraj's style is similar to Sobers.' Known for dour batting, Hanif still holds the record for the longest-ever test innings when he stayed at the crease for 970 minutes for his 337 against the West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957-58. Hanif appeared in 55 Tests and also recorded the highest first-class innings of 499 until it was surpassed by Brian Lara's 501 in 1994. Hanif was recently honoured with the Pakistani Lifetime Achievement award at the Asian Cricket Award ceremony in Karachi July 4. Incidentally, Yuvraj too got a special award, for his six sixers in an over, at the same function. 'I met Yuvraj and told him that I saw those six sixes,' Hanif said. It cannot be more inspiring for Yuvraj, who is struggling to find his feat in Test cricket since his debut against New Zealand in October 2003. The latest jolt came when he was left out from the squad for the three-Test matches in Sri Lanka. Yuvraj made a brilliant comeback to Test scoring 169 against Pakistan last year but was woefully out-of-form in the four away Tests in Australia and the three Tests against South Africa at home which prompted the selectors to drop him. The left-handed batsman has been in and out of the team playing just 23 Tests scoring 1,050 runs at an average of around 33.
Temujin Khaghan Posted July 10, 2008 Author Posted July 10, 2008 I guess Sobers should have got a chance to compare himself with anyone...
Willow_on_fire Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 I guess Sobers should have got a chance to compare himself with anyone... not anyone...but the only one in this universe to hit six 6's off a pace bowler....no other living thing on this planet has done this...and only talk if anybody tonks 6 sixes off a genuine pace bowler. as of now....just bow to Yuvraj Singh...he's the only one to achieve the feat in the HISTORY of this game.
Gambit Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Say what you want about him, Yuvi is a real regal bat. Full of class and elegance. The comparison with regard to the flourish and the style of batting may not be far off.
flamy Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Yuvraj, in full flow, is a complete treat. But, I'm unhappy that I have to add "in full flow" to justify that statement :(( BTW, who the dhenga is Hanif? OK, some Pak captain. Good on him.
Guest dada_rocks Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 MAy be in his play of pace bowling but Sobers handled Gupte presumably the best spinner ever otoh Yuvraj Singh's play against spin , well less said the better
Tapioca Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Did Sobers hit on Deepika Padukone as well? No but he had something on Anju Mahendru :winky:
Guest dada_rocks Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Found this while looking for Anju mahendru and Sobers http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2003/may/21gulu.htm They (the Indians) are not usually violent people," says Sobers in the chapter 'Reluctant Tourist'. "But they say they have the worst tempers in the world and once started, they cannot be stopped. It takes a lot to get them going, but once the trigger is pulled, watch out. "I have seen Indians cursed and abused and all they do is laugh. Push and they won't retaliate, but hope and pray to God that you don't push once too often because you would not like what you see. They can be the most violent people in the world and this what Mahatma Ghandi [sic -- the same misspelling is used for Indira Gandhi's name] fought for, to teach them to turn the other cheek. He took all that punishment because he wanted them to understand that to rebel wasn't the way and that they must not fight back." Pakistan and thuggery is permanent it's not just against India It was on the tour to Pakistan in 1959 (his only one) that, Sobers reveals, there was a planned campaign by the local authorities with the connivance of the umpires to ensure he would not score heavily. Sobers had recorded the then world record of 365 not out against Pakistan a year earlier at Kingston, Jamaica. But in Pakistan he packed his bags and threatened to leave after receiving contentious decisions early on the tour.
satishg Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Grace and elegance well no one can beat that from Yuvi..i guess Hanif has just compared the style of batting in both..other than that there is no comparison really..
CSK Fan Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 gee, i ddint know Sobers was so cr@p against spinners
ucilite Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Yuvraj, in full flow, is a complete treat. But, I'm unhappy that I have to add "in full flow" to justify that statement :(( BTW, who the dhenga is Hanif? OK, some Pak captain. Good on him. hmm...i wonder how much you really know abt cricket? have u heard abt the famous indian dhenga gavaskar?
Yuvraj4Captaincy Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 King Yuvi- One of the most elegant batsmen of present day cricket.
Bumper Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Dont know, why you guys pick on Yuvraj all the time. Interms of flair, he is one of the best batting talents, in the country. His relative failures in Tests is attributable to his shot selection, more than his technique. Some day he will get wiser and prove his nay sayers wrong. As it stands, I'll play Yuvraj in a test lineup everytime we play in the subcontinent.
Guest dada_rocks Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 hmm...i wonder how much you really know abt cricket? have u heard abt the famous indian dhenga gavaskar? Gavaskar is in 50+ category dude some hAnif Sanif is in 40 odd category.. one belongs to average crowd another is well legend peerless.. yea yeah I know he said she said will start pouring in , in hanif's defence but figres don't lie particulary figure of whole career..
Guest dada_rocks Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Dont know' date=' why you guys pick on Yuvraj all the time. Interms of flair, he is one of the best batting talents, in the country. His relative failures in Tests is attributable to his shot selection, more than his technique. Some day he will get wiser and prove his nay sayers wrong. As it stands, I'll play Yuvraj in a test lineup everytime we play in the subcontinent.[/quote'] IF u guys are stilkl not convinced then watch his 167 odd against pakistan in last test series.. 60 odd for four and he changed everythign in matter of one session.. World beating spinner Kaneria was in the line-up then
Laaloo Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 IF u guys are stilkl not convinced then watch his 167 odd against pakistan in last test series.. 60 odd for four and he changed everythign in matter of one session.. World beating spinner Kaneria was in the line-up then kaneria?? :hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:
Tapioca Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Gavaskar is in 50+ category dude some hAnif Sanif is in 40 odd category.. one belongs to average crowd another is well legend peerless.. yea yeah I know he said she said will start pouring in , in hanif's defence but figres don't lie particulary figure of whole career.. And that 40 odd category guy compares a just-about-30 category guy with a 57-odd category guy. What an irony !
Lurker Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Hanif Mohammed is an all-time great and none other than Sunil Gavaskar will tell you that. In fact one of the aims of Sunny while coming up as a batsman was to play as solid and straight as Hanif did. This was basically inculcated in him by his Uncle Madhav Mantri who had famously said - Hanif bats so straight that the sound of the ball meeting the bat can be heard at Churchgate station(a reference to game played at Brabourne stadium, about a mile from Churchgate station). I would personally say Hanif was as good, if not better bat than Javed Miandad. Most Pakistanis disagree with that but in terms of contribution towards the team Hanif was certainly as good, probably better. He deserves respect by Indian fans.
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