Former Indian spinner and commentator Ravi Ashwin has expressed his disappointment over the Indian cricket fans disrespecting the Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who bowled a horrific spell against England in the second T20I as India suffered a four-wicket defeat.
Notably, Bishnoi bowled three back-foot no-balls to become the first bowler from an ICC full-member nation to do so in a T20I game. His 17th over turned out to be costly as he conceded 29 runs as momentum completely shifted towards England.
Speaking exclusively on his YouTube channel, Ashwin has stated that fans have the right to criticize players, adding that there is a huge difference between criticism and disrespect. Furthermore, Ashwin has also emphasized that it’s time to revisit the side-line no-ball rule.
“It’s very disrespectful. Out of 1.6 billion people, or probably even more now, one person is playing for India; that’s considered a legend. Since when has representing India become so easy? It’s wrong. I’m not saying don’t criticize players. Criticize them. But there’s a huge difference between criticism and disrespect. Even this morning, I saw a video where someone was mocking a player through gestures. It’s not nice. It’s not in good taste,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“I don’t know where all this is heading. How are players supposed to deal with this constant trolling on social media? It’s just not right. I don’t know how we’re ever going to teach people where to draw the line. Ravi Bishnoi is a good cricketer. Of course, there are areas where he can improve, and we’ve discussed those shortcomings before. That’s fine,” he added.
“I think it’s time to revisit the side-line no ball rule. It’s such an old rule. Has anyone ever looked at T20 cricket from a bowler’s perspective? Please do. Bowlers have very few options to work with. The boundaries are small, there’s very little assistance for spin these days, and spinners are gradually losing their impact. Why wouldn’t that happen when the conditions offer so little to bowlers?” Ashwin concluded.
India will next lock horns with England in the third T20I of the five-game series at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Tuesday, July 7.
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