Veteran India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has rubbished the reports claiming that he wants the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relax the 15-degree rule to help bowl the 'doosra'.
WATCH: "Back to school," R Ashwin posts video of bowling in nets in Southampton
Ashwin's clarification came via Twitter after some media reports cited his YouTube channel and quoted him for wanting the governing body to relax the rule.
"Really?? Pls, don't carry the wrong stuff!! I will never say such a thing," Ashwin tweeted.
In another tweet, he wrote: "Wrong wrong wrong!! My channel is done for all the right reasons and audience to know cricket better. If you can't get such basic stuff right in translation, pls don't carry such poor news."
R Ashwin has represented India in 78 Tests so far, claiming 409 wickets at an impressive average of 24.69 with 30 five-wicket hauls. He has also left his mark in white-ball cricket, taking 150 wickets in 111 ODIs and 52 scalps from 46 T20Is.
Last week, Ashwin was in the news after former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar’s stated that the off-spinner isn't yet there in the list of all-time greats as he does not have a 5-wicket haul in SENA countries.
Only the fourth Indian bowler to claim 400 Test wickets, Ashwin has 63 wickets to his name in SENA nations from 20 games at an average of over 40.
"When people start talking about him as being one of the all-time greats of the game then I have a few problems. One basic problem I have with Ashwin is that when you look at SENA countries, Ashwin doesn't have a single five-wicket haul there,” Manjrekar said while speaking on ESPNcricinfo programme 'Runorder'.
"And the other thing when you talk about him running through sides on Indian pitches that are suited to his kind of bowling is that in the last four years, Jadeja has matched him with wicket-taking abilities.
"Then, interestingly, in the last series against England, Akshar Patel got more wickets than Ashwin on similar pitches. So that is my problem with accepting Ashwin as a real all-time great," he added.
Ashwin, however, took the criticism sportingly and came up with a hilarious meme from the Tamil movie Anniyan in response to Manjrekar's tweet. In the meme, the lead character (actor Vikram) says, ‘apdi solladha da chaari, manasellam valikirdhu’ (don’t say that, my heart is paining).
