Team India veteran off-spinner and spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin has come to express his thoughts on his statement on “colleagues not friends” which he made after his exclusion from the Indian team in WTC final against Australia.
Ravichandran Ashwin is the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Test cricket. Across 94 Test matches, this off-spinner has secured an impressive total of 489 wickets. Recently, Ashwin created ripples across the cricketing fraternity by suggesting that current cricketers are more like colleagues than buddies. This remark came shortly after he was not selected to participate in the World Test Championship final against Australia in June.
Ashwin’s statement elicited a mix of reactions from fans. Some rallied around his views, while others were astonished by the candidness of his viewpoint. However, in a recent interview, the famous bowler provided light on the underlying intent of his statements. He added that the interpretation had been misinterpreted. Ashwin noted that due to the advent of specialized teams for different formats, players now don’t have the same opportunities to bond as they had in the past, leading to fewer enduring friendships.
“What I said and what people are understanding are completely different. What I meant was that earlier, because the tours used to be long, there was more scope for friendship. But these days we are constantly playing — different formats, different teams. One thing I have always believed is that when you are playing for different teams, it is very difficult to be friends. You have to keep that competitive spirit burning to be able to compete,” Ashwin said in an interview with the Times of India.
Ashwin opened up on the possible exclusion from ICC World Cup Squad
The seasoned all-rounder recently highlighted that he doesn’t dedicate cerebral attention to such notions. Ravi Ashwin further said that he does not give such thoughts any mental space as it is not his job to select the team that will be taking part in the World Cup.
Ashwin also remarked that he doesn’t have any remaining aspirations left unachieved, but he undoubtedly harbors a strong desire to witness the Indian cricket team earn the World Cup trophy.
“I think you are connecting two things. I did not consider retirement because of an injury. That was also probably one of the reasons, and I was not sure how I would recover from it because I am not an expert on my body. And then there was some uncertainty around my career, and I was just thinking like that,” Ashwin said in his youtube video.
