Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement on December 18, shortly after the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 Test in Brisbane. Wrapping up a remarkable 14-year career, the 38-year-old left the game as the second-highest India wicket-taker and seventh-highest in Test history.
Days after his retirement from international cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin opened up about an incident from the 2018 England tour when he faced criticism from the former head coach Ravi Shastri. Actually, Ashwin had appeared on Sky Sports’ renowned show ‘The Masterclass’ hosted by former cricketer Ian Ward during that England tour, and it irked Shastri.
Ravichandran Ashwin opens up about controversial Masterclass that sparked criticism from Ravi Shastri on England tour
The Masterclass is a favorite show among cricket fans, and legends like Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, and Curtly Ambrose had already appeared on the show.
The former Test cricketer Ian Ward is known for his ability to simplify complex techniques, and he managed to get Ashwin to reveal secrets of his bowling, including his famous carrom ball, on the famous show.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s detailed insights offered fans a rare glimpse into his craft, which led the off-spinner to face fury from then-head coach Ravi Shastri. During a recent podcast with Sky Sports, Ashwin revealed that the decision to openly discuss his skills led to strong comments from Shastri.
I got a real pasting from Ravi Shastri: Ravichandran Ashwin
Despite the criticism, Ashwin maintained confidence in his approach, as he emphasized the balance between mastering one’s craft and adapting to challenges posed by opponents. The all-rounder added that Shastri was not really happy that he revealed various tricks he has to outfox the batters.
Speaking to Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton during the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Ravichandran Ashwin said, “I got a real pasting from Ravi Shastri for doing that masterclass. I’m sure you’ve heard about that from him. I think he had his point, but somehow, inside me, I never felt insecure about it. I think there are two things in the game, right?”
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For the former Indian off-spinner, sharing his techniques was never about fear but about self-discovery, as each question raised helped him improve and find new answers within his game.
I’ve never been shy of sharing what I’ve got: Ashwin
The spin great further explained, “One is to be able to deliver what you have, and the other is to be able to respond to what you throw down the other end, and I always believed, and I had the courage to say, here’s what I have to dish out. Let’s see if you’ve got it in you to come at me, and very few times, I found that the batters have not had the courage to come at me for that, and I think it’s all it also plays a very deep mental game.”
He signed off by saying, “Probably it’s a battle I have in my own head, but all that aside, I’ve never been shy of sharing what I’ve got because for me, every time I shared, I found a question inside me, so when I shared and I got a question, I had this unique capability to be able to take that question on board and find answers for it.”