When Ravichandaran Ashwin replaced a stalwart like Harbhajan Singh in the Indian Test team, the former Pakistan spin king described it as a “premature debut.”
But Ashiwn’s rise by leaps and bounds, knack to trap the best in a spin web forced Saqlain to change his views.
When Ashwin was drafted in the Indian Test team in 2011 I gave an interview and described it as a “premature selection,” because I thought Harbhajan was still good enough then to continue. But I must admit Ashwin changed my views with his rapid rise, intelligence and craft to trap the best batters that made him one of the greatest spinners in world cricket.
The wily off-spinner, with 537 wickets in 106 Tests – seventh in the list of most wickets in the five-day format – announced his retirement from international cricket in Brisbane on Wednesday.
Saqlain himself has a special place in spin bowling as he is credited for inventing the “doosra” – the delivery that turns the other direction to an off-break. Once retired Saqlain was hired as spin bowling consultant by England, the West Indies, New Zealand and Bangladesh. It was during his stint on the Indian tour in 2016-17 that Saqlain got to know of Ashwin.
He had made a name for himself but it dawned on me when I spoke to him on a domestic flight. We were sitting together and when he spoke about spin bowling in general and cricket in particular, I realized that he is an intelligent cricketer who knows the art of spin bowling.
From there on I always enjoyed speaking to him. I have always enjoyed his bowling and whenever I got to see the highlight he always enamored me. He is a very sophisticated, down-to-earth boy and brainy bowler who would trap the best of batters with uncanny guile.
When I said that his selection was done in haste I had dreaded that this boy might fall under heft of expectations because it was not easy to replace a great like Harbhajan but he improved by leaps and bounds and the main reason was that he was always a good student of the game. He kept learning and that made him a great bowler.
Saqlain said Indian cricket in general and world cricket in particular will miss Ashwin.
For sure he will be missed. He and Nathan Lyon have kept the off-spin bowling alive and wherever cricket is played and watched Ashwin will be missed. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours, whatever he will do he will do it like the way he played cricket; extraordinarily.
Saeed Ajmal describes Ashwin “world class spinner and super human being”
Saeed Ajmal first came face to face in the 2012 Asia Cup in Mirpur, Bangladesh. The two showed their mettle for their respective countries. Ajmal regards Ashwin as a “world class bowler” and a “wonderful” human being.
Someone with 537 wickets in 106 Tests must be a great bowler but it is not only the record but the guile that made Ashwin a legendary bowler. We had a mutual respect being the same style bowler. He used to admire me whenever I had success and when he had a good match I admired him. The best thing about Ashwin was that he used to always meet in a joyous mood. That made him a great human being. No matter how tense the India-Pakistan games were, we always had a laugh and shared some precious moments on and off the field.
To me Ashwin is the greatest bowler in the last decade.
Ajmal described Ashwin and Lyon as the torch bearers of spin bowling.
Lyon and Ashwin made their names as Test greats and to me they have been carrying the torch of off-spin bowling. You don’t tend to get too many off-spinners around the world. I congratulate him on a great and successful career and wish him best of luck for the future.
