Ravichandran Ashwin announces international retirement with immediate effect after drawn Brisbane test at the Gabba.
Ravichandran Ashwin has retired from international cricket with immediate effect. He made the announcement after the end of the 3rd test in Brisbane.
“This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level,” Ashwin said after the Brisbane Test at a press conference. “I do feel there’s a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to express that and probably showcase that in club-level cricket, but this will be the last day [for India].
“I’ve had a lot of fun. I must say I have created a lot of memories alongside Rohit [Sharma] and several of my other team-mates, even though I have lost some of them [to retirements] over the last few years. We’re the last bunch of OGs, if we can say that, left out in the dressing room, and I will be marking this as my date of having played at this level.
“Obviously there are a lot of people to thank, but I would be failing in my duties if I didn’t thank the BCCI and the fellow team-mates. Several of them. I want to name a few of them. All the coaches who have been part of the journey. Most importantly, Rohit, Virat [Kohli], Ajinkya [Rahane], [Cheteshwar] Pujara, who have taken those splendid catches around the bat to give me the number of wickets I’ve managed to get over the years.
“Also a big thank you to the Australian cricket team, who have been very fierce competitors. I have enjoyed my time playing against them.”
Saying that he wouldn’t be taking any questions from the media and was there just to make the news public, Ashwin said, “Truly a very emotional moment. I don’t think I am in a position where I would be answering the questions in the right way. Please pardon me for that. Thanks for being the journalists you’ve been, writing good things and of course writing nasty things on occasions. That’s a relationship I think we would maintain forever, and I hope the cricketers to come in the future will also get the same amount of love.”
Rohit, sitting alongside Ashwin as the latter made his announcement for the press, said, “Some decisions are very personal and I don’t think too many questions should be asked or raised. If a player has [made] a choice, he has to be given that choice, and somebody like Ashwin who has been there for us for so many years is allowed to make those kind of decisions on his own and we as team-mates have to respect it. He was very sure about what he wanted to do and the team has complete backing of his thought process.”