“Did I Fight? No,I stood Up For Myself” – Ravichandran Ashwin Responds On Spat With Eoin Morgan
Ashwin wrote a long post in a twitter thread to give his take on the entire episode and the ensuing debate about the 'spirit of cricket'.
The Indian off-spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, who is currently playing for Delhi Capitals, on Thursday took to Twitter to comment on the much-discussed controversy he had with Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan in the last match they played against each other.
After Ashwin was dismissed by Tim Southee in the final over of Delhi’s innings at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, Ashwin was spotted exchanging words with KKR captain Eoin Morgan.
Rishabh Pant and Ravichandran Ashwin had picked up a second run off the penultimate ball of the 19th over, which didn’t please the KKR team, since some believe it is against the rules of ‘Fair Play’ to take a run when the fielder’s ball ricochets off the batter. Notably, in this case, the run was made after the ball ricocheted off Pant.
Ashwin wrote a long thread on Twitter, explaining the incidents happened on the field during DC vs KKR.
“1. I turned to run the moment I saw the fielder throw and dint know the ball had hit Rishabh. 2. Will I run if I see it!? Of course I will and I am allowed to. 3. Am I a disgrace like Morgan said I was? Of course NOT. 4. Did I fight? No, I stood up for myself and that’s what my teachers and parents taught me to do and pls teach your children to stand up for themselves. In Morgan or Southee’s world of cricket they can choose and stick to what they believe is right or wrong but do not have the right to take a moral high ground and use words that are derogatory. What’s even more surprising is the fact that people are discussing this and also trying to talk about who is the good and bad person here!,” Ashwin wrote while explaining what happened on the field.
Foreign Australian legend Shane Warne criticised Ashwin for his act of stealing the run and once again the spirit of the game was questioned. However, Indian off-spinner tesponded to those who trolled him for the matter by saying it was a poor throw and it can make a career or destroy it.
“To all the ‘Cricket is a gentleman’s game’ fans in the house’: There are millions of cricketers with several thought processes that play this great game to make it their careers, teach them that an extra run taken due to a poor throw aimed to get you out can make your career and an extra yard stolen by the non striker can break your career.
“Do not confuse them by telling them that you will be termed a good person if you refuse the run or warn the non striker, because all these people who are terming you good or bad have already made a living or they are doing what it takes to be successful elsewhere. Give your heart and soul on the field and play within the rules of the game and shake your hands once the game is over. The above is the only ‘spirit of the game’ I understand,” Ashwin wrote to explain in detail what he thought about the incident and the entire debate surrounding it.
If not for Ashwin’s Tamil Nadu skipper and KKR wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik, who immediately intervened and kept Ashwin at one end, there could have been a heated moment between the two players.
However, during Kolkata Knight Riders’ chase, the off-spinner had the last laugh as he dismissed Morgan for a second ball duck and celebrated the wicket animatedly.
