NEWS
Follow UsVeteran Indian off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna didn’t hold back when discussing R Ashwin's recent retirement from international cricket. The 84-year-old from Bengaluru, who picked 189 wickets in 49 Tests for India, expressed his disappointment with the manner in which the Indian team management treated Ashwin when making this decision.
“First up, let me express my disappointment at the manner in which Ashwin has been treated,” Prasanna told Firstpost.
“I thought over the years that there was a lot of change in Indian cricket and administration. But it looks to me like what was happening in the early 1970s continues to happen. That means history is repeating itself because I thought the present administration would have changed their thinking as far as the contribution of an Indian cricketer is concerned.
“I am very disappointed in the way in which they have treated Ashwin because I still think that he is our prime bowler and his achievement speaks volumes for itself. And they are treating him like this, which means there is something wrong somewhere, and that is not an encouraging sign for Indian cricket.”
Prasanna, one of the rare successful touring off-spinners in Australia with 31 wickets at an average of 31.12, felt that Ashwin was treated differently than a batter would have been treated in his position. Notably, Ashwin has also talked about preferential treatment to bowlers throughout his career and has famously called them an “oppressed community.”
The veteran off-spinner felt that it would certainly affect Ashwin mentally.
“He would not have opened his mouth and expressed his disappointment because of the dynamics of Indian cricket,” Prasanna continued.
“The way in which he has been treated whenever the team has gone abroad and whenever he has been in the squad… The preference has never been towards the prime wicket-taker in the team. Obviously, it must have played on his mind. That disappointment must have ruled him.
“Many people feel that the way they are looking at him, why can’t they look at the batters? The biggest question that comes to my mind is: Are they looking at the batters in the same manner? No. I am not going to mention names but definitely, if you look at the batters, only a few batters are given similar consideration. It is very annoying and disappointing.”
Prasanna also lamented that Ashwin should have played the remaining two Test matches in the series as the pitches in Melbourne and Sydney traditionally have something for the spinners. He remarked that India missed the opportunity to gain a psychological advantage by playing the world’s leading off-spinner in such helpful conditions.
“He should have all played the matches,” Prasanna asserted.
“Never mind whether he takes a lot of wickets or not. The psychological advantage that India would have had over Australia, playing Ashwin in the team, you know, that little fear psychosis which is prevalent. He is your main bowler, you don’t know when he is going to strike gold. That was lost, right? What I mean is that the psychological advantage India would have gained by having him in the XI was frittered away.
“I think he would have had a big role to play in Sydney. I am 100% sure. Melbourne is a question mark because Melbourne has got some weird climatic conditions but in Sydney, he would have played an important role.”
