Ravichandran Ashwin’s shocking decision to retire from international cricket came as a surprise for not only all cricket fans but also his family members. Ashwin’s father made an aggressive rant about all the ‘humiliation’ his son faced before the retirement, which Ashwin soon shut by labeling his father as ‘not media trained’. However, Ashwin’s father had actually booked the tickets for the fourth and fifth Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Melbourne and Sydney respectively, which he had to cancel after his son’s sudden announcement about his retirement.
A report in The Indian Express mentioned that Ashwin talked about possible retirement with the family before the series, and the family had asked him to think about it. Therefore, as Ashwin’s father had planned tickets for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the last Test at Sydney, he was reported to have booked them.
He had to cancel all of them due to Ashwin’s retirement, as he had informed his family only the night before announcing his retirement. This indicates that even his own family did not expect such a move.
It so happens that Ashwin, in fact, did not accompany the team to Melbourne on the self-declared day of retirement; instead, he returned home on the very day he announced his retirement.
Having retired, Ashwin’s father explosively told CNN News 18 that his son had been suffering “humiliation” for long.
“The unexpected transformation, that of retirement, really did give shock to us all. At the same time, we were indeed expecting it quite soon, for there was a lot of bad treatment. As, how long could he tolerate all those things? Probably, he would have decided on his own,” remarked Ashwin’s father.
Merely to gag any controversy whose origin would be traced back to the father’s statements, Ashwin was quick enough to take refuge to the net.
“My dad isn’t media trained. I never thought you would follow this rich tradition of ‘dad statements’,” Ashwin posted on X. Request you all to forgive him and leave him alone.”
