The ever-retiring former India all-rounder speaks about the notion of providing him with a grand exit when he retires from international cricket. True, the talk of Ashwin retirement has been all about it not being given a farewell or prior preparation but has suddenly dashed to the cricketing world. It is even rumored that the former captain of India during the World Cup, Kapil Dev, said that had it been in his hands, he would allow Ashwin to retire with a lot of “respect and happiness.” But Ashwin maintains the same point of quietly retiring without much of a farewell.
“As far as I am concerned, grand farewells are wrong. I don’t think you should give grand farewell ceremonies to anyone. Especially, I firmly believe that you shouldn’t give me a grand farewell,” said Ashwin, speaking to Tamil YouTuber Gobinath C.
“I don’t want anyone shedding a drop of tear for me. I think grand send-offs are part of a super celebrity culture,” Ashwin added.
However, just to mention one of the names from the long list of probably India’s greatest players, Ashwin certainly comes in. Achievements including 106 Tests, 537 Test wickets, and being second to none-internationally-wicket-taker for India, still rule the roost. Yet, he has firmly declared wishing not to receive a farewell with respect for the game of cricket.
“I feel that people should get inspired by one’s achievements, the legacy that one leaves behind, the way one left the game, and the way one has spoken about the game. But farewells are wrong, I think. If there is a match that has been organised just to celebrate me, I think it’s a disservice to the game,” Ashwin further elaborated.
Ashwin was surprised to find the cricket world stunned and even suffering comments from his father, who said that he had been “humiliated”, by his sudden retirement without a farewell. However, Ashwin has been quick to deny any such rift with the leadership group, which includes Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir.
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