Ravichandran Ashwin proudly says he has answered the call of cricket after bringing down the curtain on his career in India.
The 38-year-old off-spinner announced his retirement from international cricket after a stellar 14-year career in which he took 765 international wickets across all formats and became the seventh-highest Test wicket-taker of all time.
speaking exclusively Sky Sports Cricket PodcastAshwin revealed how his deep-rooted passion for cricket not only developed him as a player but also gave meaning to his life.
“I did my best, even though I knew it wasn’t the popular or accepted way to do it,” he said. “My journey is completely mine.
“I have seen many cricketers over the years with great skill and talent, but their ability to explain or teach it to others is quite unique and only becomes known when people explore it for themselves.
“The amount of exploration I had to do to become so successful has given me a wealth of knowledge to say with confidence that this is a game I love to play, a game where I can explore and brutally talk about my life.
“I have no regrets because I had to work hard, but I felt like gaming was my calling. People find their calling at different stages of their lives, and I do. I’m glad this game found me, and it gave meaning to my life.
“I have been playing Test cricket for a long time and it has even taught me how to structure my life and live. It is the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me.”
Ashwin later announced his retirement. India and Australia draw in Brisbane TestA game in which he was not selected.
He said he had considered retirement in the past, but ultimately decided to do so when he could no longer be creative.
The cricketer in me is not done yet. I visualize more work to be done in the coming years. The label of being an Indian cricketer can be overwhelming. Now that’s no longer the case, and I have an avenue to explore much more in the coming years as my body allows.
He added, “I’ve never been a person who holds on to things, and I’ve never felt anxious in my life.” “I don’t believe that what’s mine today will be mine tomorrow. That’s probably been one of the factors that has improved me over the past few years.
“I always wanted to leave it all behind me as nonchalantly as possible, because I don’t trust the people who congratulate me. I don’t trust the attention we sometimes get in India. It’s a game that has always been ahead of me. Time.
“I thought about (retirement) a few times. The day I woke up in the morning and felt like there was no future or direction for my creativity was the day I wanted to give up. Then a thought occurred to me. There wasn’t much of a creative side worth exploring. .”
After ending his career as India’s second-highest Test wicket-taker (537) and amassing 610 half-centuries, Ashwin recalled a watershed moment during England’s 2012 tour of India that helped him develop as a player.
In the second Test in Mumbai, Ashwin took figures of 2-145 and was hammered at the Wankhede Stadium by Kevin Pietersen, who top-scored with 186 as England claimed a 10-wicket win to level the series.
Ashwin added: “I have one regret in life. I know KP is a very proud man and I have seen him talk a lot about how he brought us down in Mumbai.
“Very early in my career, in the formative years, going wrong on the technical side set me on a path to excellence.
“Ever since then, I’ve wanted to play against KP every time. He’s a great hitter but not a very good defender, so he’s my favorite guy because I’m very good at catching the guy who gets out, the guy who sweeps.”
“In one particular series against KP and Alastair Cook, one of the best batsmen I have ever bowled, my alignment was so bad – my left leg went too far out and I couldn’t get the length right.
“For the rest of my career after 2012, it was all about finding different solutions. I’m very grateful that the series worked out the way it did, because if that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have set my own path. Because excellence as a bowler is more internal than external.”
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