BCCI could have planned farewell matches for R.Ashwin, Ishant Sharma and Ashish Nehra

R.Ashwin has retired from international cricket and slipped into comfort zone at his West Mambalam residence in Chennai, but people are still raving about his exploits and how he defined being a gentleman in cricket. His father may have emotionally blurted out Ashwin was not being treated well and retited, but the 38-year-old spin master has played it down. That is the way it should be, since any controversy attributed to the genial spinner will be in bad taste. The way Ashwin has been using his social media handle on X (Twitter) to keep the audience engaged is witty these days and at the same time an education.

Sample this, he has posted the call record of his cell phone and shown how he received calls from Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev, plus his father. And the tag line he has used is “25 years ago I was not expecting this.” It is truly a sign of Ashwin being humble and how he is lapping up every moment back home with his family and friends. There is no crying over his privacy being intruded as he also has two young daughters and they get photographed. He was with them and wife Prithi in Australia. Surely, Ashwin would have discussed with Prithi, his childhood friend for long, what decision he was going to take.

Retirement may have been easy but the way Ashwin has kept the hype around him still tells you a story about the legacy he leaves behind in international cricket. He will ply his trade in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, where he can innovate more on his home turf at the Chepauk. On Friday night, the BCCI TV put out a video of Ashwin and what all he has done. It captures the most valuable moments, poignantly. For cricket fans, it is something to be treasured.

Uniquely, former cricketers have shown concern how Ashwin deserved a good farewell. From legend Kapil Dev to his former teammate Sunil Valson, all of them have lent their voice. “I think someone like Ashwin deserved a farewell. This end was too abrupt,” Valson told One Turf. “I mean, when you play over 100 Tests, there is a massive legacy behind. That needs to be respected,” added Valson.

He was also quick to recall how two more bowlers, both fast, never got a decent farewell. “I think the kind of effort which Ishant Sharma put int Test cricket, playing over 100 Tests is massive. It is not easy being a fast bowler in India and ensuring longevity. Ishant continues to surprise many of us in the IPL even today,” stressed Valson, a member of the 1983 World Cup winning squad. Interestingly, Ishant is still part of the Gujarat Titans squad and will be valuable to coach Ashish Nehra. “I mean, the guy is amazing, Ishant is still doing well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Delhi,” said a surprised Valson.

Back to Ashish Nehra, one of the best left-arm swing bowlers India had, he also played hard cricket, despite repeated ankle flare up. His contribution in ODIs was massive with 156 wickets in 120 matches. Of course, Nehra was conservative in Test cricket and played only 17 matches to claim 44 wickets. Had the BCCI planned farewells for these star cricketers as well, it would have been in good taste. In the good old days before the IPL came into existence, a farewell match meant getting a prize purse. Now, there is a formula worked out wherein anyone who has played international cricket or first class cricket will get a monthly pension.

The point is, whether it is Ashwin, Ishant or Nehra, they were bowlers and did India proud. A farewell match for each with prior announcement would have been in order. Australia and England make it a point to do so. None of these three cricketers is asking for anything, but had they been given as send off, it would have meant so much more for them and the fans. Hopefully, Ashwin will be celebrated by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, even though he still wants to play club cricket., which could mean TNCA league and the Tamil Nadu Premier League.