Following the defeat in the WTC Final, Ravichandran Ashwin said, “Teammates are colleagues”, Ravi Shastri responded directly.
India suffered a discouraging loss to Australia in the World Test Championship championship earlier this month.
One of the main talking points, in addition to India’s poor performance in the title match, was the absence of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin from the starting XI.
Due to the Oval’s pitch conditions, the star bowler was not selected for the team. However, both fans and former cricketers were unhappy with the decision.
After Nathan Lyon, captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid came under additional fire for Ashwin’s omission.
Ravi Shastri had a straightforward response to Ashwin’s remark on the Indian dressing room
After the WTC Final loss, Ashwin spoke candidly about being benched in an interview with Indian Express.
“There are “colleagues” in the dressing room, not “friends”, he said in the interview, which generated a lot of buzz on social media.”
“We live in a time when everyone is a colleague. When cricket was played in the past, everyone on your team was a friend. Now, they work together.”
“There is a significant difference because individuals in this situation are there to move ahead of those seated to your right or left. So, no one has the time to ask, “Okay, boss, what are you up to?,” he said.
“In fact, I think sharing cricket makes it better. When you are aware of another person’s method and their journey, it gets better.”
“However, it doesn’t occur anywhere near as frequently as it should. Nobody will come to you for assistance. The journey is by itself.”
“You can, of course, contact any professional you want, contact a coach, pay a fee, travel there, practice with them, try to feed off of them, and so on.”
“But occasionally we lose sight of the fact that cricket is a highly self-taught sport.”
Whether in the locker room or the commentary booth, Shastri bluntly stated that colleagues would always be present.
“Colleagues were there for me every time. You’ll have friends who work in the same department as you.”
“I mean. Ask anyone how many close friends they have, and they’ll all say 4-5. I’m content having five close friends in my life; I don’t want any more,” Shastri told The Week.
“All the time, colleagues, is what I’m saying. Commentary box, my friends,” he continued.
Shastri returned to broadcasting after stepping down as head coach in 2021, and earlier this month, he participated in the WTC Final commentary team.
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