“I Want To Play More Cricket, Where is the place?” Ashwin Opens Up About His Sudden Retirement From International Cricket

Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shocked everyone when he announced his retirement from international cricket after the third test of the five-match Test series against Australia. The off-spinner did not reveal the reason for making such an unexpected decision which made people speculate the possible reasons that made Ashwin hang up his boots as an international cricketer.

The Reason

After a month of speculation, Ashwin finally spoke up about his decision to retire from international cricket. “I think a lot. What to do in life. You all need to understand, that this happens instinctively. If someone gets to know, that their job is done, once that thinking comes, there is nothing to think. People said a lot of things. I don’t think it is a big deal,” Ashwin shared on his Hindi YouTube channel, Ash ki Baat.

The Decision

The off-spinner added that he took the decision after contemplating what the future holds in store for him. In the words of Ashwin, “You think what happened? I did not play the first Test. I played the second, did not play the third. It was possible I could play the next or not play the next. This is a side of my creativity and I was looking to explore it. At that time, I felt my creativity was over, so it was over. It was simple.”

The Debate

Reacting to the debate of whether he should have played a farewell match Ashwin said “What difference will this make if I came out with the ball and people are clapping? How long will people talk about it? When social media was not there, people talked about it and forgot after one week. There is no need for a farewell. The game has given us a lot, and we have played with a lot of happiness.

The Future

Talking about his future plans India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test said that he wants to play more cricket but he also thinks that his time as an international cricketer has come to an end. In the words of Ashwin, “I want to play more cricket. Where is the place? Obviously not in the Indian dressing room but from somewhere else… It is always better to finish when people ask ‘why’ and not ‘why not.’”