R Ashwin spoke about life after retirement and said that he seeks a broader role on the cricket field in the coming years. Ashwin ended his India career in the middle of the ongoing BGT 2024 where he played just one Test, in Adelaide and picked one wicket.
He announced retirement from international cricket after the Brisbane Test, ending his career with 537 wickets in 106 Tests, 156 wickets in 116 ODIs, and 72 wickets in 65 T20I matches for India from 2010-2024.
In a Sky Sports interview with former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain, Ashwin said that his decision was influenced by a lack of creative pleasure.
"One line I have always said when people ask me 'What is next?' I have said the day I wake up and feel that creative side doesn't have a future or direction is when I will probably give it up. I certainly think that the creative side did not have a lot of upsides to explore. There are laboratories available in world cricket today. So I thought okay if this is not the lab, I can find another one," Ashwin said to Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports.
He intends to continue playing club cricket, including the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ashwin, who is presently sixth on the all-time wicket-takers list, concedes that Nathan Lyon is close behind. He expresses satisfaction with any final rating.
"I won't be seventh on the list for a long time. Nathan Lyon is breathing down my neck. Glad to be number 8, glad to be whatever number I happen to become eventually. One tag that has always come behind me, that people have tended to say that I am a numbers man, I know my numbers, probably gave the impression that I went after numbers, that was never the case.
"It was all about getting excited to be something else the very next day that I played the game. The game gave me so much to a point where it allowed me to be creative and explore the best inside me. So grateful to the game for giving me all those avenues. The cricketer in me is yet to be done. I do visualize myself doing a lot more in the next few years, that tag of being an Indian cricketer can be overwhelming. Now that is off my back, I do have an avenue to explore much more as long as my body is allowing me to do so," he said.
Ashwin's retirement decision was somewhat unique. He doesn't dwell on decisions and avoids attachment.
"There is always that question that lies inside you. You keep asking yourself, am I really making this decision the right way? In my case, it was slightly different. I don't know how to position this. But I have never been the kind to hold on to things. I have never felt insecure in life.
I don't believe what I have today is probably going to be mine tomorrow. Probably that has been one of my elevating factors. I always wanted to leave things behind as nonchalantly as I could because I do not believe in people celebrating me, I don't believe in the kind of attention we get sometimes in India. It is always the game that is always stood ahead of me," said Ashwin.
On receiving messages from childhood heroes like Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev, Ashwin said he was surprised by the outpour he received.
"I went to bed one night thinking what the hell have I done? People like Sachin and Kapil Dev. Growing up to me Sachin was everything. I didn't want him to get out. To get a call from him, he spoke to me in depth about how he felt when he hung up his boots.
Then Kapil Dev calling me and speaking about what he felt and thought of me was (overwhelming). I have a massive amount of gratitude (for the love that I have received)," he added.
Here is the video:
