I don't become a villain for bowling a no ball: Ravichandran Ashwin

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who was one among the two bowlers who bowled a no ball in the semi-final of the World T20 2016 against West Indies that the team eventually lost and was knocked out of the tournament has said that he doesn’t think bowling a no ball makes him a villain and that he didn’t read anything for the next three days after the match.

Talking to the media ahead of his new IPL team the Rising Pune Supergiants’ opening game in the IPL against defending champions Mumbai, Ashwin said, “The day I went back home my dog had heat stroke. He had fits. It just showed me what is more important and what is very very important in life. I did not turn up a piece of paper for next three days. I haven’t read about what people had said,”

“There have been good enough journalists and knowledgeable people who said I had not bowled a no-ball for ages and to have bowled one no ball, I don’t become a villain. If that’s the perception I don’t know how to counter that,”

Ashwin was asked how it felt bowling with the wet ball while there was dew on the field and he said you should ask someone who actually bowled when there was dew as he bowled just with the new ball. “When there was dew I did not bowl. It’s better you ask someone who actually bowled, to be very honest. I don’t know how it felt with the dew on. It’s very amusing because with the first 12 balls I bowled, I created a wicket opportunity as well,” he replied.

He was further quizzed on the matter and was told that it was the skipper MS Dhoni who in the post match press conference said that their attack was hampered due to dew to which Ashwin said, “I don’t know what the captain said.”

“I am not blaming you. But you should be responsible about what you write as millions of people read it and form an opinion,” Ashwin said.

Talking about playing under Dhoni and for the new team RPSG Ashwin said he was up for the challenge. “It’s a fresh start, it’s a new team for me and it’s going to be a new challenge which I had always been looking forward to. It’s very important to get into the new environment, see how much you can get better and add value to the team. It’s very exciting and I am looking forward to it.”

How difficult is it to switch from international cricket to IPL and the difference the off-spinner said, “It’s going to be difficult, no hiding it. It’s going to be taxing – mentally and physically. The thing with IPL is it’s very fast paced. If you get in and if you try and beat your own odds and try to look for improvements during this time, it’s going to help you as a cricketer and hold you in good stead throughout the year,”

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