Former South African cricketer Daryll Cullinan has criticized the timing of Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement call, stating that it was a "selfish" move on the off-spinner’s part to retire midway through India’s ongoing tour of Australia.

Ashwin shocked the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from the international arena with immediate effect last month. His decision came after the third Test in Brisbane ended in a draw.

The 38-year-old was not part of India's playing XI for the Gabba Test. He was also left out of the line-up for the series opener in Perth but played in the second Test at the Adelaide Oval, where he claimed one wicket and scored 29 runs across two innings.

While Ashwin did not mention any specific reason behind his sudden call, reports claimed that two reasons played a big part in it. One was his prolonged back issue, and the second being that he wasn't a guaranteed selection in overseas conditions anymore.

Ashwin's father, Ravichandran, alleged that his son was continually humiliated, which may have contributed to his retirement announcement midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

However, the veteran spinner himself dismissed such notion while also clarifying that his 'dad isn't media trained'.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Cullinan opined that Ashwin should not have retired mid-series as it could've interrupted the team's momentum.

"Ashwin should not be retiring or allowed to retire mid-series. It was a selfish move, clearly for reasons he won't make public. It was a spiteful reaction to not being selected. It can be disruptive to a team mid-series. It was a matter of weeks. He could have retired after Sydney," Cullinan said.

Ashwin represented India in 106 Tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is, picking up 765 wickets across all formats. He finished his career as the country’s second highest wicket-taker (537 scalps) in Test cricket, only behind the legendary Anil Kumble’s record tally of 619 dismissals.

Meanwhile, Cullinan also stated that the ongoing tour of Australia would be a success for India if they manage to pull off a victory in the Sydney Test to draw the series 2-2 and retain the coveted BGT.

"I want to stress that if India win in Sydney, it's been a successful tour for them. I can't see why they can't win in Sydney! In fact, I think they will," Cullinan said.

The series-decider between India and Australia is slated to get underway on Friday (January 3).