After getting called out for suggesting that there is no harm in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sitting out the Ireland T20Is, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has hit back at his critics. Speaking ahead of the England T20I series, Ashwin asked what was so wrong with a 15-year-old carrying drinks for senior India players and gaining valuable experience around the dressing room.
Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav was not handed his India debut despite an incredible season in the Indian Premier League. After the conclusion of the IPL season, Vaibhav also enjoyed a strong outing for India A in the tri-nation series in Sri Lanka, where he recorded the fastest fifty in List A history.
When he was not given a debut in the opening game against Ireland, Ashwin had defended the team management’s call, stating that there is value in sitting outside, watching the game and acclimatising to the national team environment.
“There is value in sitting outside and watching the game too. Let him serve the team, help out, even bring water. There is a lot to learn from that experience,” Ashwin had said in a video earlier.
“A great player doesn’t become one overnight. Once Vaibhav starts playing, he might never be dropped — it could happen, just as it did with Sachin Tendulkar.”
“But if he spends some time outside the playing XI first, he will gain empathy and a better understanding of the team environment. He has a long and illustrious career ahead of him. Sitting outside is also a role,” Ashwin had said after the first T20I of the series.
ASHWIN HITS BACK AT CRITICS
Ashwin faced considerable backlash after those remarks, with many questioning the point of carrying a generational talent in the squad if he was not going to play while in form.
Reacting to the criticism on his own show, Ashwin hit back and questioned whether carrying water bottles for senior players had somehow become a negative thing.
“We need to give Vaibhav Sooryavanshi time. The way he played in the IPL, obviously you will have to play him at some point. He is that special,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“What I am saying is that carrying water is not degrading,” Ashwin added.
“Why do people think carrying water is a bad thing? When did the ethos of cricket change? In the 1990s and 2000s, I was a ballboy in Chennai, and I was so happy to carry water for the cricketers then.
“When did running into the field and giving a water bottle to Indian players become less?”
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is expected to get a chance in India’s T20I series against England. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had explained that Vaibhav was not given a debut in Ireland because the team wanted to give the World Cup-winning openers a longer run as they begin a new cycle under captain Shreyas Iyer.
India begin their five-match T20I series against England on July 1.
INDIA’S FULL SQUAD FOR ENGLAND T20IS
Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma (VC), Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
– Ends
