Ravichandran Ashwin, a former Indian cricket player, has shared his thoughts on Nathan Lyon’s recent remarks on the Australian selectors. Lyon has publicly expressed his disappointment after being pulled from a home Test match for the first time since January 2012.
During the second Test of the Ashes, Lyon said he felt “absolutely filthy” and that in order to absorb the decision, he had to put some distance between himself and the top selector and head coach. Ashwin raised a fresh perspective and questioned why the Indian cricket community and media would condemn Indian players for making such a claim while ignoring it if an international player like Lyon did.
“I’ll follow Chris Gayle’s lead. He declared himself to be the Universe Boss. Will we accept Abhishek, a generational talent who is hitting like him, if he shows up tomorrow, sits with a chain, and declares himself the “boss”? We don’t accept our own players, but we accept others. Although there is freedom of speech, collateral harm can occur. You will be identified as having a particular personality.
In a video posted on his YouTube page, Ashwin said, “I hope it will change, and it should.”
He ended by saying that he would stop at nothing to prepare the team for the Gabba Test, even though Lyon did not approve of his dismissal. Despite this, his comments received a lot of attention, with commenters from all across the world praising their bluntness.
Indian cricket supporters have criticised players like Virat Kohli and Ashwin for highlighting obvious problems with leadership and selection procedures in the past. When they have expressed disapproval, other Indian cricket players have likewise not been spared.
Regarding Lyon’s home record for Australia in Test cricket, the seasoned player has taken 268 wickets at an average of 31.11 in 73 games. With the exception of Shane Warne, he is one of the few spinners from the SENA region who has performed as well in conditions that are not conducive to spin.
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