Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement on December 18, shortly after the third 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Brisbane. At the conclusion of a remarkable 14-year career, the 38-year-old left the game as India's second-highest wicket-taker and the seventh-highest in Test history.
Days after retiring from international cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin spoke about an incident that occurred during the 2018 tour of England when he faced criticism from former coach Ravi Shastri. In fact, Ashwin appeared on Sky Sports' popular show 'The Masterclass' hosted by former cricketer Ian Ward during the England tour, angering Shastri.
Ravichandran Ashwin talks about the controversial Masterclass program that drew criticism from Ravi Shastri during his tour of England
Masterclass is a favorite show among cricket fans and legends like Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Curtly Ambrose have already appeared on the show.
Former Test cricketer Ian Ward is known for his ability to simplify complex techniques, and he managed to convince Ashwin to reveal his bowling secrets, including the famous carrom ball, in the popular show.
Ravichandran Ashwin's detailed insights provided fans with a rare glimpse into his career, leading to the off-spinner facing the wrath of then head coach Ravi Shastri. During a recent podcast with Sky Sports, Ashwin revealed that the decision to discuss his skills publicly led to strong comments from Shastri.
I got a real paste from Ravi Shastri: Ravichandran Ashwin
Despite the criticism, Ashwin has remained confident in his approach, emphasizing the balance between mastering one's craft and adapting to the challenges posed by opponents. The all-rounder added that Shastri was not really happy as he revealed so many tricks that he had to beat the batters.
Speaking to Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton during the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Ravichandran Ashwin said: “I got a real thumbs up from Ravi Shastri for doing such an outstanding lesson. I'm sure you've heard about it from him. I think he had his point, but in a way What, deep down, I've never felt insecure about it. I think there's two things at play, right?”
For the former India player, sharing his techniques has never been about fear, but self-discovery, as every question asked has helped him improve and find new answers within his game.
I have never been shy to share what I have: Ashwin
Spin Great also explained, “The first thing is to be able to give what you have, and the other is to be able to respond to what you throw at the other end. I always believed, and I had the courage to say, here's what I have to dish. Let's see what If you have the ability to attack me, and very few times, I found that the hitters didn't have the courage to attack me for that, and I think that's it. It's also playing a very deep mental game.”
He concluded by saying, “Maybe this is a battle I'm fighting in my mind, but regardless of that, I've never been ashamed to share what I have because for me, every time I share, I find a question inside me.” For me, so when I got involved and I got a question, I had this unique ability to be able to take that question into consideration and find answers to it.