5 times fathers of Indian cricketers gave controversial statements ft. R Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect following the conclusion of the third Border-Gavaskar Test against Australia in Brisbane.
The off-spinner finished his career as the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests and also the second-highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket. He has left behind a lasting legacy which will be a template for every young spinner coming through the ranks.
Following his retirement, Ashwin’s father Ravichandran made a controversial statement to the media. He stated that his son’s decision to call it quits from international cricket was due to the humiliation he faced.
Despite being India’s premier off-spinner over the years, Ashwin didn't feature regularly in overseas Tests, which might have played a role in him hanging his boots.
This is not the first time that the father of an Indian cricketer has made a controversial statement. Let us have a look at five instances when father's of Indian cricketers gave controversial statements:
#5 When Sanju Samson’s father blamed the likes of Rohit, Kohli and Dhoni
Samson Vishwanath, the father of Indian batter Sanju Samson, made headlines in November when he criticised as many as four Indian players for ruining the career of his son. Despite having all the promise, Samson has failed to cement his spot in the Indian team.
However, after scoring three T20I centuries in his last five games, he seems to have sealed his T20 spot. Vishwanath accused the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni for wasting a decade of his son’s career. He also had some strong words against former India head coach Rahul Dravid, a cricketer whom Samson idolised while growing up.
“There are 3-4 people who wasted 10 years of my son's vital career...captains like Dhoni ji, Virat [Kohli] ji, Rohit [Sharma] ji and coach [Rahul] Dravid ji. These four people wasted 10 years of my son's life but the more they hurt him, the stronger Sanju came out of the crisis," Viswanath was quoted as saying by Malayali news portal Media One.
#4 When Sreesanth’s father blamed MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh for framing his son in the spot-fixing scandal
Following Sreesanth’s arrest in the IPL spot-fixing scandal in 2013, his father had pointed fingers at MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh for framing his son and playing a role in his arrest by the Delhi Police. Playing for the Rajasthan Royals, Sreesanth was arrested along with his two teammates Ankit Chavan and Ajit Chandila.
Sreesanth was eventually banned from all forms of professional cricket and could never really revive his career. Sreesanth’s father felt that the joint plotting of Dhoni and Harbhajan played a role in his son’s arrest.
“They are trying to ruin my son. From the beginning he and Dhoni have been close and knew many intimate details. Dhoni is trying to take revenge against him for this. My son has played well for India.
"They are trying to end his career. Dhoni had threatened him that he would never be taken back in the Test side." Sreesanth’s father was quoted as saying on Malayala Manorama news channel.
#3 When Ravindra Jadeja’s father claimed his son’s wife had tainted their relationship
While most of the fathers of the Indian cricketers have come out in public and blamed other cricketers for ruining their son’s career, Ravindra Jadeja’s father made a shocking allegation that it was his son’s wife who had played a massive role in ruining the relationship between Ravindra and his parents.
Earlier this year, Jadeja’s father cited that he has no relations with his son and made some controversial allegations against his wife Rivaba. In an interview with Divya Bhaskar, Jadeja’s father mentioned that they don't have any sort of relation with Ravindra Jadeja and his wife and neither do the cricketer and his wife have tried to contact them.
"Do you want me to tell you one truth? I have absolutely no relation with Ravindra and his wife, Rivaba. We don't call them, and they don't call us. The issues started after two or three months of their marriage.
"I currently live alone in Jamnagar, while Ravindra resides in a separate bungalow of his own. He lives in the same city, but I don't get to see him. I don't know what magic his wife has done on him,”Anirudhsinh said.
#2 The never-ending fiasco of Yuvraj Singh’s father Yograj Singh
By far the most controversial father in Indian cricket history has been Yograj Singh. His statements have created shockwaves all around the country but it seems that the former cricketer has an issue with several cricketers. The biggest of them is MS Dhoni who he has blamed time and again for ruining his son’s career.
He even went to the extent of saying that he would slap Dhoni whenever he sees him. Yograj Singh had also claimed to have alterations with former World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev with whom he had shared the dressing room in the past.
“I would have slapped Dhoni, had I been a journalist,” Yograj said in a Hindi news channel.
He went on to add that Dhoni ruined his son’s career which could have easily extended for 4-5 more years.
“I won't forgive MS Dhoni. He should look at his face in the mirror. He is a very big cricketer, but what he has done against my son, everything is coming out now; it can never be forgiven in life.," Yograj said on the Zee Switch YouTube channel.
#1 When Ashwin’s father said it was the humiliation which forced his son to retire
Following the retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin, his father Ravichandran made a controversial statement that his son was being humiliated which led to the decision. While he wasn't sure about the reason, Ravichandran indirectly blamed the Indian team management and the captain and coach for ruining his son’s career.
Like the whole cricketing world, Ashwin’s decision also came as a shock to his family, especially his father. He felt that constant omissions from the playing XI might have felt like humiliation to Ashwin which played a part in the decision.
"I too came to know last minute, actually," Ashwin’s father was quoted by CNN News 18. "What was going on in his mind I don’t know. He just announced. I too accepted it with full pleasure. I did not have any feeling at all for that. But the way he gave his retirement, one part I was very happy, another part not happy because he should have continued."
“(Retiring) is his (Ashwin’s) wish and desire, I cannot interfere in that, but the way in which he gave that, there could be many reasons. Only Ashwin knows, maybe humiliation," he added.
Following his father’s response, Ashwin came out in public and apologised on his father's behalf asking the netizens to leave him alone.
“My dad isn't media trained, dey father enna da ithelaam. I never thought you would follow this rich tradition of "dad statements". Request you all to forgive him and leave him alone," Ashwin wrote on his X handle.