Exclusive | EAS Prasanna on Ashwin's retirement: ‘Feeling sad, he could’ve played for 1 more year’
Prasanna feels the Indian Test team is struggling to find a good spinner and Ashwin's retirement could have been delayed. He says the team management might have played a part in Ashwin quitting
Indian spin legend EAS Prasanna on Wednesday (December 18) heaped praise on fellow off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket. He questioned the Indian team management and felt Ashwin could have continued for one more year or so.
The 38-year-old Ashwin announced in Brisbane on Wednesday that he was quitting international cricket with immediate effect. He was not part of the third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba as the game ended in a draw.
Also read: Ashwin didn't just flirt with greatness, he truly embraced it
Ashwin, with 537 wickets in 106 Tests, is the second-highest wicket-taker for India in the five-day format, behind Anil Kumble (619). He also has 156 ODI and 72 T20I scalps, and was part of the 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy winning teams under MS Dhoni’s leadership.
Also read: Ashwin is world's best spinner, says EAS Prasanna
Just like how Dhoni retired from Test cricket in the middle of a series in Australia in 2014, Ashwin has followed his former captain. Ashwin will link up with Dhoni again as they both will be seen playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025.
Also read: Who said what on Ashwin's retirement
In an exclusive interview with The Federal, the 84-year-old Prasanna spoke highly of Ashwin, calling him one of the greatest spinners of India and advising him to coach youngsters instead of taking up commentary. He also spoke about his meetings with Ashwin among other things.
Excerpts from the interview.
Question: What are your first thoughts about Ashwin retiring from international cricket today?
EAS Prasanna: Being an off-spinner myself, I am feeling sad that Ashwin has retired from international cricket. He could have played for another one year or so. Ashwin being 38 years of age is not the problem about retiring. Unfortunately, India is still struggling to find a reasonably good spinner, at least safe like Ashwin. Unfortunately, the Indian team management is also a contributor to Ashwin's decision to retire. He is a wicket-taker, but he has been overlooked not only in the current tour to Australia but many overseas tours before. I think, he would have taken this into account, and thought there was no point sailing against the tide.
Also read: Ashwin's records and India career in numbers
Q: Where do you rate Ashwin in the pantheon of great spin bowlers?
Prasanna: Ashwin is one of the top spinners India has ever produced. Of course, I still rate Subhash Gupte as India’s greatest spinner because his trade and style, I don’t think we will ever have. I am happy that Ashwin has continued the legacy of off-spinners, and is one of the best spinners to have played for the country in the recent era.
Prasanna advises Ashwin to guide youngsters instead of taking up commentary as most former cricketers have done in recent times. File photo: BCCI
Q: Could you recall your meetings with Ashwin and what was the talk like?
Prasanna: I have met him only a couple of times in Bangalore, and have congratulated him for bowling well. The incident that I want to recall is when the BCCI annual awards function was held in Bangalore (in March 2017). Bishan (Bedi) was also there. That was the only time the three of us were together. I must say he is a very quiet man. He is a good talker when asked to address people but when he was amongst us, he was a very quiet man.
Q: As an off-spinner, what is Ashwin’s biggest strength?
Prasanna: His biggest strength is that he is the only spinner who has many varieties in bowling. And, all those varieties have yielded him wickets. He had the strength and heart to try all those varieties in Test matches as well. In IPL too he experimented a lot and executed them brilliantly at the international level.
Q: Ashwin will continue to play in the IPL but what do you like to advise him about his post-retirement role?
Prasanna: I would like to say that instead of taking up commentary, like most of the former cricketers are doing now, Ashwin should share his knowledge with youngsters. He is at the right stage now where he can teach youngsters, aspiring off-spinners how to bowl in international cricket. He is the only one who can translate his experience into execution.