Indian all-rounder, Yuvraj Singh’s omission from the squad against Australia was pretty evident after the fitness standards set by skipper Virat Kohli and old warhorse MS Dhoni.

While cricketing pundits are already having a discussion of whether this is the end of the road for teh southpaw, former selector Saba Karim begs to differ.

Speaking to CricketNext, Karim said that writing off Yuvraj would be the biggest mistake. He said “Discount Yuvraj at your own peril. He is like a phoenix who has time and again shown that he loves rising from the ashes and proving critics wrong. From past experience, I would think it is too early to say that the writing is on the wall. Yes, he has a few issues he needs to work on, but then, he is a champion performer and has time and again proved that.”

He further added, “In fact, to be honest, we during our time as national selectors did for a short span think that it would be very difficult for Yuvraj to make it back to the national team. But I am equally happy to say that he proved us wrong and showed exemplary work ethics to make a return to the national team.”

But then, both Kohli and chief coach Ravi Shastri have clarified that fitness is the first priority at international level. And Karim accepted that this will be the challenge for Yuvraj, he said, “Yes, Yuvi need to go back to the drawing board and plan accordingly. He does need to work on his fitness and play domestic games to keep reminding the selectors that he is keen to make it back to the national team. The road is definitely not easy and trust me, nobody knows that better than the man himself.”

While many reckon that Yuvraj is past his prime but Karim has a different take on that, he said, “You cannot say A fits the bill or B fits the bill on a permanent basis. It all changes from situation to situation and you never know when the team management feels that the experience of someone like Yuvraj would suit the bill perfectly. Surely too early to say that the writing is on the wall.”