After the third India vs Australia Test in Brisbane, Ravichandran Ashwin surprised the cricket world by announcing his retirement from international cricket. Many expected the 38-year-old Ashwin, who is the highest wicket-taker among active bowlers with a scalp of 537, to continue for a little longer. However, he retired with two tests remaining in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The timing of his retirement had been questioned by greats like Sunil Gavaskar. Ashwin was used in only one of the first three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India captain Rohit Sharma later said: “This just happened to be where he felt, ‘If I’m not needed in this series, then that’s better.’ he said.
Now, Ashwin has broken his long silence about the reason for his retirement.
“I’ve never been a person who clings to things and I’ve never felt insecure in my life,” he told Sky Sports. “I don’t believe that what’s mine today will be mine tomorrow, and that’s probably been one of the things that has lifted me up over the last few years.
“I’ve always wanted to leave things as subtle as possible. I don’t believe in people congratulating me, I don’t believe in the attention I sometimes get in India. It’s the match that stood before all that time.
“I thought about[retiring]several times. For me, the day I wake up and feel like there’s no future or direction for my creative side is the day I give it up. It just felt like that all of a sudden.” Creatively, there wasn’t much upside to explore. ”
Ashwin also revealed how his passion for gaming has given meaning to his life. “I just did my best, even though I knew it wasn’t a common or accepted practice,” he said. “My journey is completely mine.
“I have seen many cricketers over the years with extraordinary skill and talent, but the ability to articulate and teach others about it is something that is quite unique. It is something that can only be communicated to people if you explore it yourself.
“The amount of exploration I had to do to make it a huge success gave me confidence that this is a game I love and one I can explore and brutally talk about for the rest of my life.” I was left with a wide range of knowledge that I can say about my life.
“I don’t regret it because I had to put in a lot of effort, but I was left with the idea that gaming was my calling. People find their calling at different stages in life, but I… I’m glad this game found me and gave meaning to my life.
“I have been playing Test cricket for a long time and it has taught me how to structure my life and how to live it. This is the most beautiful thing that has happened to me.”
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