NEW DELHI: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri took a swipe at off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who had said that former had referred to Kuldeep Yadav as India’s premier spinner in overseas conditions in Test matches.
Kuldeep had taken a five-wicket haul in Sydney in the 2018-19 tour.
Ashwin said he was genuinely happy for Kuldeep as he knew how difficult it is to take five wickets as a spinner in Australia. “I hold Ravi bhai in high esteem. We all do. And I understand we all can say things and then retract them. In that moment, though, I felt crushed. Absolutely crushed,” Ashwin told ESPNCricinfo.
Responding to Ashwin, Shastri said his job is to “state facts without agenda”.
“My job is not to butter everyone’s toast. My job is to state facts without agenda,” Shastri told Indian Express.
The former India all-rounder then went on to explain the rationale behind his comments at that time and added that he is “glad” he made the statement if that made Ashwin go about his job in a better way.
“Ashwin did not play the Test in Sydney and Kuldeep played and took fifer and bowled brilliantly. It was only fair I give that young kid who was probably playing his first or second Test match overseas and he bowled magnificently in that Test match. He bowled as well as any spinner has bowled in that Test match.”
