Former India captain Sourav Ganguly doesn't believe in the concept of farewell matches for cricketers and said his ex-teammate Yuvraj Singh will remain one of country's best even if he doesn't receive a final game.
Yuvraj, after having played 304 ODIs, 58 T20Is and 40 Tests in his 19-year-long career, announced retirement from international cricket on Monday (June 10). He last played for India in July 2017.
"I don't think so [deserves a retirement match]. I don't believe in these retirement matches. If it falls in the course of your continuation as a player... of you being a part of the team... part of a normal system of Test or ODI... then fine," Ganguly was quoted as saying by India Today.
"Whatever he has achieved as a player will not go down if he doesn't get a farewell match. I don't believe in it. He's been a terrific player... a match winner. He should be very proud of what he has achieved."
Despite fans' calls for the same, Yuvraj himself revealed he never asked the BCCI for a "farewell game" in Indian jersey.
"I didn't tell anyone in BCCI that I want a farewell game. If I had the potential, I would have left from the ground. I didn't need a match. I was told that if I failed a Yo-Yo test then I can play a retirement match," he had said at the press conference in Mumbai.
"I told them I don't need the game, if I don't pass the Yo-Yo test, I'll go home quietly. I passed the Yo-Yo Test and rest is not my call."
Yuvraj made his debut for India under Ganguly's captaincy in 2000. He went on to help India reign supreme at the 2007 World T20 in South Africa and then four years later at the 50-over World Cup in the Asian subcontinent.
"I have many, many fond memories of Yuvraj Singh. He started under my captaincy. We went to Australia and he was the Man of the Match on debut."
"We beat the best team of our generation in a Champions Trophy quarter-final. But my best memory of Yuvraj would be the six sixes in the World T20 in England," Ganguly added.
"It's not about the sixes but to hit 6 sixes in an overs against an outstanding fast bowler in Stuart Broad. And then Man of the Match in the 2011 World Cup, those memories will always remain. He was an out-and-out match-winner."
