Kings XI Punjab: Ashwin propounds on Indian cricketers’ workload during IPL 2019

Ashwin propounds on Indian cricketers’ workload during IPL 2019: Kings XI Punjab off-spinner opened up on workload management and his ODI spot.

India’s premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was a regular for India across formats until world cricket started to rule out finger-spinners from limited-over formats of the game. Having last played an ODI during India’s tour of West Indies in 2017, Ashwin has been overlooked for wrist-spinners in the form of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.

While he continues to lead India’s spin division in Test matches, not being considered even once in ODIs or T20Is speaks highly about the selectors’ confidence in other bowlers. Speaking during an event in Mumbai recently, Ashwin highlighted his white-ball record and blamed perception for his ouster.

“I am not looking at it like that because I am no slouch [in limited-over formats]. In the white-ball format, my records are not bad like what it is perceived to be. It is out of perception that wrist-spinners are required in the modern day one-day cricket format, that [is why] I am sitting out. The last one-day match that I played, I got 3 for 28.

“I would always look back at my career and say it is not due to my effort that I am sitting out of the team, it is due to the supply and demand that the team requires,” Ashwin said during the event.

Ashwin opens up on workload management

With the 12th season of the Indian Premier League and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 scheduled to happen without many days in between, a pressing topic doing the rounds in Indian cricket is regarding the players’ workload. Among the notable personalities to address the same are former India captain and current wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India Coach Ravi Shastri and veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

From warning the Indian cricketers regarding picking up “bad habits” to suggesting them to take “smart decisions” during these difficult and competitive months, India captain Virat Kohli has also been vocal about the same.

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On being asked about the same, Ashwin talked about both the perspectives – that of a franchise owner and a player. “I don’t think as a cricketer you can look far ahead about what needs to be done and how you can manage it. As a cricketer or as a sportsperson, you just concentrate on what happens today.

“The franchise has invested money on you. Obviously it is a massive tournament, everybody plays for pride, everybody wants to perform and excel. It definitely stays at the back of the head because it is being spoken about a lot more right now,” he mentioned.

“Players are responsible enough”

Laying emphasis on the responsibility lying with the players to be aware about niggles, Ashwin opined that the fast bowlers are likely to be under more pressure and should be taken better care of.

“I am sure the players are responsible enough and more fitness-aware and able to handle it better than they ever were. I don’t think going into the tournament people will be thinking about it but as the tournament pans out and the way it goes for each and every franchise and for each and every player, they will take decisions wisely.

“It is a dream for every cricketer to represent his country at the World Cup, it is a big stage. I think that is the point of view from where they are coming. Obviously, bowlers have more chances of succumbing to injuries because of the workload they go through, it is physically more hard on the body than the batters.

“Probably from that point of view, if you look at a [Jasprit] Bumrah or a Bhuvneshwar [Kumar], Bumrah has been fine but Bhuvneshwar has had a few concerns over the last year or so. I think from that point of view the bowlers need to be taken good care of,” Ashwin concluded.

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