Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement has not only come as a shock to Indian cricket but also the cricketers around the world. Ashwin announced his retirement after the third Test between Australia and India at Gabba, Brisbane.
After the announcement, he received best wishes from all around the cricketing world for an outstanding career. Recently, former Pakistan wicketkeeper Rashid Latif also paid tribute to the legendary offspinner and hailed his qualities.
Latif lauded Ashwin’s brilliant cricketing sense and even called him capable of taking over the roles in the ICC and the BCCI in the future. By calling him the genius of the game, he labelled Ashwin as a cricketer on a different level.
Also read: Fresh details of Ravichandran Ashwin’s father’s ‘MCG and SCG’ act emerge after spinner’s retirement
Rashid Latif predicts the reason behind Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement
While speaking to the news agency IANS, Rashid Latif predicted the reason behind Ravichandran Ashwin’s decision to retire from international cricket. He claimed that Ashwin might have felt that his career was nearing its end since younger players like Washington Sundar were getting the preference in the Playing XI.
“(Ravichandran) Ashwin, as a cricketer, maybe he hasn’t received the respect he deserves in the dressing room; I don’t know about it. He’s wondering if he’ll be in the playing XI or not. He’s the world’s No. 3 bowler, and taking 537 wickets for India is a huge achievement,” Latif noted.
“Perhaps he feels that his career might be nearing its end, especially when players like Washington Sundar are getting preference, so he might be deciding whether he’ll play in the Sydney Test or not, whether he’ll play in Melbourne or not. At some point, a person reaches a boiling point. I’ve been there myself many times,” he added.
Washington Sundar played the first Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy ahead of the seniors like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Sundar is also seen as the successor of Ashwin for India in Test cricket.
Rashid Latif pays tribute to Ravichandran Ashwin’s career
The former Pakistan cricketer further called him a genius and hailed his cricketing mind. He claimed that Ashwin could pick up roles in BCCI or ICC in the future because of his great mind. Latif then reminded everyone that Ashwin has more Test hundreds than MS Dhoni.
“But as a cricketer, as a genius of the game, there are many cricketers in India, but Ashwin is on a different level. His qualities are of a different level. I believe that in the future, he could take over BCCI or ICC as he’s that capable,” Latif said.
“He is very humble, and you wouldn’t even realise that he’s such a big cricketer. Best wishes to him from my side, from Pakistan. He’s had an outstanding career. Look at him; as a batter, Ashwin has six centuries, which Dhoni probably doesn’t even have,” the 56-year-old added.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s achievements
Ravichandran Ashwin finished as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests after the legendary legspinner Anil Kumble. Ashwin also has the joint-most Player of the Series awards (11) in Tests alongside Muttiah Muralidaran.
Overall, he is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Tests. While he was an excellent bowler, Ashwin was a capable batter as well. The 38-year-old is only one of those 11 all-rounders in the world with over 3000 runs and over 300 wickets in Test cricket.