Ashwin’s last Test appearance was in Adelaide during the pink-ball Test, after which he was replaced by Ravindra Jadeja in the third Test.
Former Australian cricketer Brad Haddin believes Ravichandran Ashwin’s surprise retirement from international cricket was due to frustration over constant changes in the spin bowling line-up during the Test series against Australia.
Haddin’s comments followed Ashwin’s announcement about his retirement during a press conference. Ashwin’s last Test appearance was in Adelaide during the pink-ball Test, after which he was replaced by Ravindra Jadeja in the third Test.
Also Read: 3 structural changes India will see in Tests with Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement
Haddin suggests Ashwin’s retirement linked to changes in Spin-Bowling role
Speaking to Fox Cricket, Haddin suggested that more details will emerge when Ashwin gets the chance to speak about his retirement.
He hinted that based on his observations, Ashwin might have been frustrated with the frequent changes in spin bowling options during the first three Test matches.
“More will come out when Ashwin gets a chance to speak; Just reading between the lines, it seemed like he was a little frustrated with the spin options that changed in the first three Test matches,” Haddin said.
Brett Lee on Ashwin’s retirement
Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, speaking on Fox Cricket, reflected on Graeme Swann’s retirement mid-series during the 2013-14 Ashes and speculated that Ashwin’s situation might have been similar.
Brett suggested that, like Swann, Ashwin may have been informed that he would not appear in the rest of the series, leading to him withdrawing on his own terms.
“I think the last time a spinner retired in a series (in Australia) was Graeme Swann. “She may have been told she won’t be playing any role in this series again, and rightly so, she just decided to go out on her own terms,” said Brett Lee.
Ashwin was one of the key figures in India’s dominance in red-ball cricket over the last decade. He finished his Test career with 537 wickets from 106 matches, making him India’s second highest wicket-taker, only behind Anil Kumble’s 619 wickets.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube.