Greg Chappell's rigorous fitness regimen might be too taxing for some of the players in the
Indian cricket team but it has earned praise from Yuvraj Singh, who says his teammates are "happy" with the Australian's coaching methods.
"I don't think that Chappell's fitness regimen is too harsh. All the boys are happy doing it. The fitness level of the team has improved and we are still working on it," the star batsman said on Thursday.
"I share a good rapport with the coach and I am happy with him," he added.
The left-handed batsman said the row between skipper Sourav Ganguly and Chappell was disappointing but the team should now move ahead.
"It was definitely disappointing and I would be lying if I don't say so. But we have to forget everything and move ahead for the betterment of the game," he said.
Yuvraj said at the moment what is most important is the team members remaining together.
"If I was the captain, I would have talked to the team and asked the players to be together in the present situation," he said.
The Punjab batsman also came out in support of Ganguly, saying he had given chances to many youngsters and now it is their turn to cooperate with him.
"At times, a senior player deserves a chance while youngsters can sit out in view of the contribution by the senior to the team. There is nothing to feel bad about it," he said.
Yuvraj, who scored 120 in the last Zimbabwe tri-series league match against New Zealand recently, felt that, overall, India needs to raise its level against the big teams in one-dayers.
"We need to have good performance against good teams like New Zealand," he said.
About India's dismal performance last year, he said, "We had many good years before that and it was only one bad year. It will pass."
On the personal front, he said having established himself in One-Day Internationals, he is concentrating on cementing his place in the Test side.
"My one-day record is okay and now I am working hard for my place in the Tests," Yuvraj said.
Yuvraj, who briefly tried his luck as opener, said he has tuned himself now as a middle order batsman.
"Now I play with more responsibility in the middle order. I try to last till the end of the game," he added.
He gave a lot of importance to the Challenger series, beginning in Mohali on October 10, which will serve as a selection trial for the upcoming one-day series against Sri Lanka.
"I am looking forward to playing the Challenger series which will be a good practice for the coming home series against Sri Lanka and South Africa," he said.
He praised the concept of the Super Series, being played in Melbourne between Australia and ICC World XI.
"It is a nice concept. You get to play alongside the best players of the world.
"It is perfectly justified to give it an official status. I would have definitely liked to be the part of the series," he added.
But he was not too enthusiastic about Twenty-20 cricket.
"It is an exciting format from the spectators' point of view but not for cricketers as no cricketing skills are involved in it."
