India’s legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin sent shockwaves through the cricketing fraternity by announcing his retirement from international cricket in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Now, Former Australian cricketer Brad Haddin suggested that veteran all-rounder’s mid-series retirement stemmed from frustration over not being selected in the playing eleven.
Speaking on the Willow Talk podcast, Haddin said, "The first three Test matches, they played three different spinners, so they arrived here not knowing what their game style is going to be around here. It should not be a shock when you get here, they have played here enough, they have success here so the Ashwin retiring mid-series was a funny one. I do not think we have heard the last of that yet. I think he was just jack of not getting picked."
Haddin further said that Ashwin likely sees himself as the "number one spinner" and decided to retire on his own terms rather than sit on the bench if he was not considered essential.
"I think he sees himself as the number one spinner. His record is elite, and he just went, 'You know what I am not sitting on the bench. If you cannot decide that I am your best spinner, I am done. I have played enough. I do not need this.' I do not think we have heard the end of that," Haddin added.
Ashwin's retirement marks the end of an era in Indian cricket. With 537 wickets in Test cricket, he is only behind the legendary Anil Kumble, whose 619 wickets set the bar for Indian bowlers. Throughout his career, Ashwin’s performances in the World Test Championship (WTC) were outstanding, with 195 wickets in 41 matches — the most by any player in the tournament’s history. His contributions to India’s success in the longest format of the game are unparalleled, making him one of the finest spinners the sport has ever seen.
In addition to his remarkable bowling achievements, Ashwin’s batting prowess further solidified his allrounder credentials. He scored 3503 runs in Test cricket, including six centuries and 14 fifties. He is one of only 11 allrounders in the history of the game to have notched up more than 3000 runs and 300 wickets — a testament to his versatile contributions to Indian cricket.
Furthermore, Ashwin holds the record for the most Player-of-the-Series awards in Test cricket, with 11, a feat he shares with the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan.
Not just a Test specialist, Ashwin’s versatility across formats saw him represent India in 116 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 65 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), picking up 156 and 72 wickets, respectively. His all-around ability made him a critical asset in every format, and his legacy will undoubtedly live on in the cricketing world.
