"How many fans for an age old jersey?"- Ravichandran Ashwin shares pictures of Indian training jersey from 2011 ODI World Cup
Ace Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently reminisced about his 2011 ODI World Cup training jersey. He was part of the Team India squad for that tournament at home. Ashwin played only two games, including the blockbuster quarter-final match against Australia in Ahmedabad.
India went on to win the World Cup by beating Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. As a result, they lifted the coveted trophy after a long wait of 28 years.
After 12 years, Men in Blue reached the final last November but suffered a heartbreaking loss against Australia and fumbled at the last step.
Ravichandran Ashwin took to his official Instagram handle on Saturday and shared a couple of pictures of himself in an old jersey from 2011. He opened up that it was his favorite one and asked how many fans resonated with his views. Ashwin captioned:
"How many fans for an age old jersey? This is my favourite dating back to the 2011 World Cup. #cricket #throwback"
"A T20 match brings in a lot of funds"- Ravichandran Ashwin on the health of Test cricket
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Ashwin analyzed the prevailing discussion around the sustainability of Test cricket among nations other than India, Australia, and England.
South Africa have decided to prioritize SA20 and send a depleted squad for the Test series against New Zealand. This gave rise to this discussion around the world in cricketing circles. Giving his opinion on the matter, Ravichandran Ashwin said:
"I have to say this: only a very few test cricketing nations are able to manage the expense of Test cricket and make it a viable option, like England, Australia, and India. It’s not just the public watching test cricket; the television rights also make it a viable option. Whereas New Zealand and South Africa have made it a two-match Test series because they are headed towards a loss."
He added:
"A SA20 or a T20 match brings in a lot of funds. There’s only one discussion here: what’s viable for the market, what’s viable for the public, and what’s appealing will eventually overtake the game. If we want to maintain test cricket, we can’t go to South Africa or New Zealand and enforce them to maintain Test cricket."
Do you agree with Ashwin's views above? Let us know in the comments section below.