Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been included in Team India XI in place of injured all-rounder Axar Patel for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2023 to be played in India.
However, ahead of the mega event, the legendary bowler was savaged on social media by a former India cricketer, calling him ‘fool’ and ‘unfit’.
Former India spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan launched a scathing attack on Ashwin on X (formerly known as Twitter) alleging that the veteran off-spinner only has so many wickets in India because the pitches have been doctored to favour him. He also called him a liability.
Sivaramakrishnan’s tirade began when one of the posts reacted by saying that the pitches in India are prepared flat because Indian batters cannot face spin. It was then that Sivaramakrishnan began his brutal attack on Ashwin saying, “Indian batsmen are struggling against spin because the pitches in India are doctored for Ashwin in Test matches. Look at his record in SENA Countries.”
“Any fool will get wickets on tampered pitches in India,” said Sivaramakrishnan.
He continued in a separate comment, “Go straight from the airport to the ground and tell the ground staff what areas to tamper, I have seen with my own eyes several times,” he added.
He further called Ashwin ‘unfit’ and a ‘liability fielder’.