Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed his candid thoughts on his relationship with Sanjay Manjrekar, admitting that a particularly harsh critique from the former commentator left him deeply hurt and angry, leading to years of silence between the two.
Manjrekar has often sparked controversy for his opinions and remarks, which would frequently put him at odds with players and fans alike. The most famous was his controversial remark against veteran Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who was called a ‘bits-and-pieces cricketer’ during the 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
The former India batter even made remarks against Virat Kohli, especially during the latter's lean patch, questioning his form and later claiming that the batting great was ‘very sensitive to criticism’ and often became cold towards him after hearing negative comments.
Just like Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin too had his fair share of run-ins with Manjrekar's analytical style, noting how the public commentary profoundly impacted how players felt about experts in the box.
Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Cheeky Singles', the 39-year-old revealed that Manjrekar's criticism after his first tour of Australia left him deeply hurt and angry, admitting that he avoided speaking to former India batter turned commentator for several years before eventually moving on from the incident.
“I had messaged Sanjay Manjrekar once. After my first Australia tour, he had written a long article, and I read it completely while returning,” Ashwin said.
“After reading, I got angry; getting angry is one thing, but I felt very bad. I let it go. I used to not talk a lot to him either. The next four years, I worked a lot, as I was not a gifted athlete,” he added.
Scroll to load tweet…
Ravichandran Ashwin had his first Test tour of Australia during the 2011-12 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he picked nine wickets at an average of 62.77 and an economy rate of 3.36 in five innings across three matches. He was India’s third-highest wicket-taker in the series, but the performance did little to silence the critics who questioned his ability to thrive in overseas conditions.
Further speaking on the same show, Ashwin shared how their equation eventually changed over time as he focused heavily on his game, letting his performance on the field answer the critics.
“Then in 2015, he wrote another article saying he was bowling very well. Then I asked for his number and messaged him that your article back then changed my life,” the former India off-spinner said.
“I always look at whether there is something to learn from criticism," he added.
Ravichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket after the third Test between Australia and India ended in a draw at the Gabba. Ashwin bid adieu to his illustrious international career as the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests, with 537 wickets, including 37 fifers and 8 10-wicket hauls, at an average of 24.00 and an economy rate of 2.83 in 106 matches.
Overall, Ashwin finished as the second-highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket, with 765 wickets at an average of 25.80 and an economy rate of 3.38 in 287 matches.
