Yuvraj Singh

London: Kevin Pietersen may feel that Yuvraj Singh the bowler is a pie chucker, but it’s his batting that’s probably weighing heavy on England, in the lead-up to their Super Eight clash against India.

Yuvraj laughed off that jibe, hurled during last December’s Test series in India, but England can’t laugh away his six sixes in an over, off Stuart Broad, in the inaugural World T20.

“What would be my advice to Broad, if I was the captain and Yuvraj had hit him for sixes on the first two balls? Probably that he should aim for his head!” Yuvraj joked on Saturday.

The stand-in vice-captain could afford to be light-hearted as he’s in form and there’s much less pressure on him compared to, say, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

India and England meet at Lord’s on Sunday, both having lost their opening Super Eight matches. So, it’s pretty much a do-or-die affair for both.

“We had an off day yesterday (Friday)... Being the defending champions, there’s always pressure... In T20, though, anything may happen... We understand the situation and are confident,” Yuvraj pointed out.

He added: “I don’t believe in mind games, but those six sixes would be at the back of my mind... There’s history and there’s always history in the making (as well)...”

Dhoni and Co. were to have a training session in the afternoon, but they decided against sweating it out.

“Our practice sessions go according to our thoughts, not your (the media’s) thoughts,” Yuvraj snapped, when asked why the session had been scrapped.

The England captain, Paul Collingwood, said that his team was capable of “beating the best” and that the West Indies had shown the Indians weren’t unbeatable.

He indicated that his quicker bowlers would look to emulate Fidel Edwards, who’d been hostility personified against India.

Sounding as confident as Yuvraj, Collingwood insisted that the demand of the day wouldn’t really affect his team. “Sometimes, we play our best cricket when we’re in such situations...”

“Look, I’m hopeful... Losing to the West Indies has been a setback, but the boys must take the field believing they can win,” former India wicket-keeper Farokh Engineer told The Telegraph.

Such belief would, of course, be a huge driving force.

Match starts: 10pm (IST).