After Team India head Gautam Gambhir & Vice-President Rajeev Shukla lashed out at former chairman of selectors Kris Srikkanth for his comments on pacer Harshit Rana, Ravi Ashwin has come out in support of the young player. The former off-spinner stated that there should not be personal attacks on a player. Rana's inclusion in the upcoming white-ball series against Australia sparked a huge debate online among experts and fans, where Srikkanth, on his YouTube channel, said the Delhi pacer is rewarded for being a 'constant yes man' for Gambhir.
Notably, Ashwin also had previously questioned Rana's inclusion in the squad based on his IPL performances for KKR, but said any constructive and negative criticism should be based on merit.
Advertisement
“I have always reiterated that no player should be attacked below the belt. When the attack becomes too personal, the genre changes. I would like to talk about Sanjay Manjrekar, who has criticized me throughout my career. But I have never held any grudge against him. What they say might be right or wrong, as long as the criticism doesn’t get personal, I am fine with it,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
The expert further went on to state that personal comments can shatter a player's confidence and morale when he turns up to play his next game for the country.
Also Read: IND vs AUS: Cameron Green ruled out due to side soreness, Marnus Labuschagne named replacement
“Assume Harshit sees the reel in which he is being harshly criticized, and he is about to play a match for India, wouldn’t he be shattered by this? And if his parents and friends see it, what will be their mindset? We can definitely criticize their skill, their style of cricket, and the trade that they are plying. But it shouldn’t get personal. It may be funny once or twice, but it shouldn’t be a running theme. The reason they are doing this is that there is an audience for it. Negativity sells these days. They sell whatever is in demand. We should avoid consuming such content,” he added.
Ravi Ashwin unhappy with the constant trolling of Harshit
For the unversed, Ashwin in the past has voiced concerns over constant trolling and even game an example of how the Australian Eco-system fully backs an upcoming player.
“Everyone’s targeting Harshit Rana left, right, and center. Let me ask you one thing: if the same Harshit performs well next year, will the same people put him on the same pedestal and celebrate him?” asked Ashwin.
Before the expert, Gambhir had come out in support of Rana in the post-match conference after the conclusion of India's Test series against the West Indies.
Also Read: IND vs AUS: First time in 148 years, Virat Kohli on cusp of breaking massive world record
