Former India spinner R Ashwin has spoken about unfair criticism by fans and critics of individuals. This comes after India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, and pacer Harshit Rana, amongst others, were targeted for India’s poor performance and alleged favoritism, respectively.
Gambhir found himself in a predicament last month, when India suffered their second home Test series whitewash in a row, both during his time as coach. The 0-2 setback sparked criticism of his methods, with some fans calling for his dismissal and others demanding a professional red-ball coach.
Ashwin highlighted that criticism is only constructive when it focuses on performance and selection rather than personal assaults. He believes that instead of knocking down individuals, debates should focus on why a player deserves a spot and what stands in their way.
"It's okay to criticize anybody, okay? The attempt from my side, and that of others, should always be to reason out the criticism. For example, there was a debate on whether Riyan Parag should be included in the ODI setup. It should never be about whether Riyan Parag is good or bad. It should be about what merits his selection and what doesn't work in his favor,” Ashwin stated to RevSportz.
“But we often get into this pelting of stones at characters, and what I'm really concerned about is character assassination. Sport should never get down to that. And I repeat again: a fan of an individual doesn't have to be a hater of another. Ultimately, let's recognize that a fan of a particular player is a responsible cricket viewer," Ashwin added.
Ashwin highlighted that criticism is only constructive when it focuses on performance and selection rather than personal assaults. He believes that instead of knocking down individuals, debates should focus on why a player deserves a spot and what stands in their way.
"At some stage, if we make a fan view the game like a movie where you have to hate the other person, then we are not doing something right. How does it make sense for you to be a fan of a certain player and then hate Prasidh Krishna or Harshit Rana for criticism? If Harshit Rana hasn’t bowled well, I might say why that happened. And if he does well tomorrow, great—that’s not my problem. It’s not about who has done well and why I should be right.
I keep saying the same thing: I can make a prediction; I can make a mistake because I'm human, and that's fine. At the end of the day, I'm not an astrologer. These conversations should remain open," he added.
Ashwin continued by stating that players, analysts, and fans should approach arguments responsibly to avoid negative influence.
"But it's also up to individuals and those narrating the game to do so responsibly. If there are people impacted by what we say—if five out of 10 are affected—we should try to make it six or seven, so the remaining few can be handled. That’s where more responsibility is required,” Ashwin said.
