''Why do we blame the player that plays within the laws of the game''- Jason Gillespie hits back at Shane Warne on the 'Spirit of Cricket' debate

Jason Gillespie and Shane Warne [Image- Getty]

Former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie has hit back at his former teammate Shane Warne for the latter's comment on the Ashwin-Morgan saga.

Ravichandran Ashwin was involved in an ugly altercation with KKR captain Eoin Morgan during a recent game after the former claimed a single after the ball had ricocheted off his partner Rishabh Pant.

Following the incident, Warne took to Twitter, offering full support to Morgan for 'nailing' Ashwin, terming the off-spinner's act 'disgraceful'. Warne wrote:

"The world shouldn’t be divided on this topic and Ashwin. It’s pretty simple - it’s disgraceful & should never happen. Why does Ashwin have to be that guy again, I think @Eoin16 had every right to nail him !!!!"

Replying to Warne's comment, Gillespie proceeded to copy the first few lines of the leg-spinner's tweet before adding a line of his own.

The former Australian player asserted that players have every right to choose how they wish to play as long as they don't contravene any prescribed rules. Gillespie wrote:

"The world shouldn’t be divided on this topic and Ashwin. It’s pretty simple- it’s disgraceful & should never happen. Why do we blame the player that plays within the laws of the game? I believe players have every right to play within the laws of the game as set out by the MCC."

The world shouldn’t be divided on this topic and Ashwin. It’s pretty simple- it’s disgraceful & should never happen. Why do we blame the player that plays within the laws of the game? I believe players have every right to play within the laws of the game as set out by the MCC. twitter.com/shanewarne/sta…

Following the incident, Ashwin wrote a detailed thread on Twitter. There he clarified that he didn't know that the ball had ricocheted off Pant's arm. He also asserted that he would have still gone for the run had he known it (ricocheting off Pant's arm). That's because it's not illegal as per the laws of the game.

1. I turned to run the moment I saw the fielder throw and dint know the ball had hit Rishabh.
2. Will I run if I see it!?
Of course I will and I am allowed to.
3. Am I a disgrace like Morgan said I was?
Of course NOT.

Ashwin also called out his critics for seeking a moral high ground. He asserted that every player has the right to decide how they want to go about their business.

"The laws of the game are in place" - Jason Gillespie on Ravichandran Ashwin incident

Meanwhile, this is not the first time Gillespie has spoken about the Ashwin-Morgan saga and the debate around the illusionary 'spirit of cricket'.

Gillespie on Friday wrote on Twitter that the definition of "spirit of cricket" differs from country to country or even state to state. He also said that it's better players and everyone associated with the game focussed on the prescribed laws laid out by the MCC. Gillespie wrote:

''The 'spirit of cricket', and what constitutes this, differs from country to country, and in some cases, between states/counties/provinces/islands. The laws of the game are in place. Stick to them, and the grey areas within our game are removed.''

The “spirit of cricket”, and what constitutes this, differs from country to country and in some cases, between states/counties/provinces/islands.
The laws of the game are in place. Stick to these and the grey areas within our game are removed. twitter.com/abcsport/statu…

Ashwin had the last laugh in his battle against Morgan, dismissing the left-hander for a second-ball duck. KKR, though, ended up winning the game by three wickets on the night.