NEW
DELHI : Cricket star Yuvraj Singh has been battling a golf-ball sized
non-malignant lung tumour which first affected him during India's
triumphant World Cup campaign, his family revealed on Sunday.Yuvraj,
29, who was declared the man of the tournament after the World Cup win
at home in April, had opted out of the upcoming one-day series against
the West Indies for health reasons."During the World Cup, Yuvraj
found himself constantly troubled by bouts of coughing and vomiting,"
his mother Shabnam Singh said in a statement.She said Yuvraj initially ignored the problem, assuming it was due to stress and did not want anything to distract him."When
the problem persisted after the World Cup, we decided to seek medical
advice... scans then showed us that Yuvraj was dealing with something
really serious. A golf-ball size lump (was) found over his left lung,"
she said."Further reports have indicated that the tumour is
non-malignant and non-threatening and can be treated through proper
medication and therapy... Yuvraj is now in a much better state and on
his way to a full recovery.The aggressive left-hand batsman and
spin bowler had gone through "a very hard time" but was now focused on
returning to the field, Shabnam added.Yuvraj wrote on his
Twitter page that he was "overwhelmed" by the support he had received.
"I am absolutely fine, just need to get match fitness and training. Will
be back soon," he said.Yuvraj, who played in two of three Test
matches against the West Indies this month in Delhi and Kolkata, was not
picked for next month's Test series in Australia.He hopes to be
back in action for the subsequent one-day tri-series Down Under, also
featuring Sri Lanka, which begins on February 5.Yuvraj, who made
his international debut in 2000, has played 37 Tests, 274 one-day
internationals and 23 Twenty20 matches for India.He was part of
India's champion team at the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in
2007, where he smashed England fast bowler Stuart Broad for six sixes
in one over.The explosive hitter has been the lynchpin of
India's middle-order in limited-overs cricket, although he has not met
with the same success at the Test match level.During the World
Cup campaign this year, Yuvraj scored 362 runs and grabbed 15 wickets in
nine matches to carry off the man of the tournament award.At the Test level, Yuvraj has scored 1,775 runs at an average of 34.80 with three centuries and 10 fifties
