10 headline-grabbing statements of 2021 from the cricket world
The year 2021 is drawing to a close and there has been no shortage of drama as far as cricket is concerned, both on and off the field. While 2021 saw India register their second consecutive Test series win in Australia, they were 2-1 up in England when the fifth Test in Manchester was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.
Two of the biggest cricketing moments of the year were undoubtedly Australia lifting their maiden men’s T20 World Cup title and New Zealand clinching the inaugural World Test Championship. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) also closed in on Mumbai Indians’ (MI) record of five IPL titles, winning their fourth crown in the cash-rich T20 league.
Shifting focus to cricket controversies, India’s Test captain Virat Kohli opened a Pandora’s box by contradicting BCCI president Sourav Ganguly at a press conference ahead of the South Africa tour. Australia’s Tim Paine has also had to step down as Test skipper in the wake of his involvement in a sexting controversy.
Cricket quotes of 2021
In this year-end feature, we look back at statements and claims from the cricketing fraternity that made headlines.
#1 “My job is not to butter everyone’s toast” - Ravi Shastri
In a recent interview with The Cricket Monthly, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin stated that he was "absolutely crushed" upon hearing former coach Ravi Shastri’s comment that left-arm spinner Kuldeep had become India’s no.1 overseas spinner.
Shastri made the statement after Kuldeep claimed a five-for in the 2019 New Year Test in Sydney. Ashwin was battling injury and fitness issues and only featured in the first Test of the series in Australia.
"Ravi Ashwin did not play the Test in Sydney and Kuldeep Yadav bowled well. So it's fair I give Kuldeep a chance. My job is not to butter everyone's toast. My Job is to State facts without agenda." - Ravi Shastri (To Indian express)
Shastri, responding to Ashwin’s interview, commented that he was glad he made the statement as it made the off-spinner try something different. He told The Indian Express:
“If my statement on Kuldeep hurt Ashwin, I am glad I made that statement. It made him do something different. My job is not to butter everyone’s toast. My job is to state facts without agenda. If your coach challenges you, what will you do? Go home crying and say I won’t come back. I as a player would take it as a challenge, to prove the coach wrong.”
#2 “I was contacted one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting…” - Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli left nothing to the imagination when he openly contradicted BCCI president Sourav Ganguly at a press conference ahead of the South Africa series. Ganguly claimed he had requested Kohli not to step down as T20I captain.
However, Kohli dismissed all such statements and said that he had never been contacted by anyone from the BCCI. He also added that he was informed 90 minutes before the team selection meeting for the South Africa Tests on December 8 that he would not be the ODI captain.
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Kohli said at the press conference:
"I was contacted one and a half hours before the selection meeting on December 8 for the Test series. There was no prior communication to me at all from when I announced the T20I captaincy decision until the eighth where, as I said, I got a call one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting.
The star cricketer added:
"The chief selector (Chetan Sharma) discussed with me the Test team to which we both agreed, and before ending the call I was told that the five selectors have decided that I will not be the ODI captain, to which I replied, 'okay, fine'. And in the selection call afterwards, we chatted about it briefly. And that's what happened. There was no communication prior to that at all."