Former Pakistan Captain Salman Butt said that it was natural for Ashwin to get hurt by his coach’s comments. Earlier in the week, Ashwin spoke in an interview that he was crushed by Ravi Shastri’s comments when the coach called Kuldeep as a preferred spinner for overseas conditions. Later Shastri replied to Ashwin’s remarks that his job was not “butter everyone’s toast”.
Former Pakistan opener Salman Butt opined on the issue in his Youtube channel.
“Ravi Shastri has said that he’s a coach who doesn’t butter his players; he wants to get them to work. Even if the players get hurt, he wants them to prove him wrong. He praised Kuldeep and Ashwin thought he was pushed under the bus.” Butt said.
“I agree with Shastri when he says that his job is to state facts”
“Now, as a player, you get to hear things like these. Obviously, you try your best but when you don’t deliver the performances you’re expected of, you have to endure some criticism. When someone from outside criticizes you, you don’t really care much about it but when someone from your own team says things like that, it does hurt a bit. Same happened with Ashwin,” Butt said on his Youtube channel.
However, Butt defended Ravi Shastri, saying that his job was to bring the best out of Ashwin and he did exactly that.
“But according to Shastri, the result of those comments was that Ashwin worked on his fitness and improved his game. He now believes Ashwin is world-class. So I agree with Shastri when he says that his job is to state facts,” Butt said.
R Ashwin currently holds the no.2 rank in ICC Test bowlers ranking. In the year 2021, he is the leading wicket-taker with 52 scalps. However, there were questions raised when Jadeja was preferred over him in the series against England earlier this year.
India’s next assignment is the test series against South Africa. India never won a Test series in South Africa before. Virat Kohli & Co. will be chasing history as the first test will start on December 26 at Centurion. Ashwin will be likely to get a chance as Jadeja was ruled for the series.
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