India’s loss in the ICC 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia left many fans disappointed, and one of the key talking points was the absence of veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin from the playing XI. The decision to bench him due to the conditions at The Oval drew attention, and Ashwin recently shared his thoughts on being left out.
In an interview with The Indian Express, R Ashwin made a remark about the nature of relationships in the modern era of cricket, stating that everyone is a colleague in the dressing room. This statement caused quite a stir on social media, as he highlighted the competitive environment where players strive to surpass their teammates.
“In this era, everybody is a colleague. Once upon a time when cricket was played, all your teammates were friends. Now, they’re colleagues. There’s a big difference because here people are there to advance themselves and to stride ahead of another person sitting to your right or left. So nobody’s got the time to say, ‘okay, boss what are you up to?'” R Ashwin expressed.
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He further emphasized the importance of sharing and understanding each other’s skills and experiences in order to improve the game. However, he acknowledged that cricket can also be an isolated journey.
Responding to Ashwin’s remark, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri, who worked closely with Ashwin during his time with the team, had a different perspective. Ravi Shastri stated that for him, it was always about colleagues rather than friends. He explained that while there might be a few close friends in one’s life, the majority of relationships within the cricketing world are based on professional camaraderie, whether in the dressing room or the commentary box.
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“For me, it was always colleagues. You will have buddies who are colleagues. I mean… how many close friends does anyone have? If you go and ask anyone, they will say 4-5… in their life! I’m happy with 5 close friends in my life, I don’t want more than that. What I’m saying is, all the time colleagues. Commentary box, colleagues,” Ravi Shastri clarified in an interview with The Week.
The differing views expressed by Ashwin and Shastri shed light on the evolving dynamics of relationships within the cricketing fraternity, where individual aspirations and competition coexist with professional respect and camaraderie.
