'Yuvraj will be back in three weeks'

New Delhi: Middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh, who skipped the ongoing West Indies series due to a non-malignant lung tumour, would be fit to play competitive cricket in three weeks' time, his mother said on Monday.

Yuvraj Singh, skipped the ongoing West Indies series due to a non-malignant lung tumour. © AFP

"The world will see a new Yuvraj on and off the field when he returns to cricket in 2-3 weeks. Yuvraj's way of looking at life has changed. He has realised what he should do and what he should not. He was always a fighter but has become stronger and more brave. He has learnt so much in this time," Yuvraj's mother Shabnam Singh said.

Revealing the pain Yuvraj has been going through in the last six months due to a golf ball-sized tumour that was detected in his chest, Shabnam said, "Only he knows what he has gone through, how he has suffered. He knew it could have been so dangerous but he never shared his pain. It will take time to heal. There is no option but to face it."

Shabnam said her son had wanted to keep his illness a secret but had to reveal later as people would charge him for not being serious if he skipped the ongoing West Indies series without giving a reason, his mother said.

"Yuvraj is angry with me because he did not want anyone to pity him. He wants to be known as a player who played for his country. Then I said it is better that the world knows what he is going through or they will again say he is not serious (by deciding not to play this series)," Shabnam said.

"If they see him with a fan or someone else, they will say he has an affair. They will say he is enjoying himself so I said the world should know what he is going through and he is unwell. I asked my Guruji and he said it's OK to tell the world. Yuvi said everyone will ask him questions but I said if you don't play and not disclose the reason there will be more questions," she told a news channel.