New Delhi. Ravichandran Ashwin does not like to depend on people and that is why he has never been in favour of the idea of relying on coaches in a traditional way as he believes that such dependence makes players dogmatic. In his 14-year international cricket career, Ashwin has played 281 matches in various formats so far and has taken 744 wickets. Ashwin’s wisdom and his ability to rediscover himself again and again has helped him to survive in difficult times.
The 37-year-old off-spinner told PTI in a recent telephone interview, “A lot of players are too dependent on a coach or a mentor or a single person which I think is a very dangerous trend because due to excessive dependence on people you are not ready for new ideas.” It is not that Ashwin has never had a mentor. His first state team coach WV Raman is one of the respected names in Indian cricket and Tamil Nadu legend and former Indian batsman S Badrinath has been a mentor to him. But his equation with them never turned into the kind of dependency that would overwhelm his own ability to find solutions.
He said, “Often the challenge of a coach is to be able to give you multiple solutions. This is because what works for one (particular player) may not work for another.” Ashwin, who recently made his debut as a writer with ‘I Have the Streets: A Kutti Cricket Story’, said, “One aspect of modern coaching that I completely disagree with is that they try to copy-paste the same technique (solution) that has worked for another cricketer.” Although he is well aware that some players achieve results by surrendering to their coach’s vision, he also feels that such dependence can limit your thinking.
Ashwin, who is currently second in the list of India’s most successful Test bowlers after the legendary Anil Kumble, said, “As a cricketer you constantly face new challenges, so you should find your own answers.” On Raman’s role in his career, Ashwin said, “People can help you. But they cannot guide you in your career, you have to be open to new ideas.” He said, “WV (Raman) gave me the freedom to express myself and you know, to try new things. He also taught me how and which path I have to follow but he never said, ‘This is the path you have to follow.’
Ashwin said, “So in a way, in my early days, WV’s guidance ensured that I was never overly dependent on anyone.” Ashwin said that taking a second opinion is never a bad idea but cricket is primarily a self-taught sport. He said, “If you don’t know about your game and if you can’t teach yourself, I think you are always going to be dependent on someone, which I think is a very dangerous part.” Ashwin is set for a big 10-Test season and the series against Bangladesh next month will be his first series under the guidance of new head coach Gautam Gambhir, with whom he has played a lot of matches. Ashwin considers him one of the ‘heroes’ of Indian cricket.
He said, “Gautam is someone with whom I still have a very good relationship. Due to the fact that he is a very straightforward and honest person.” Ashwin said, “I think Gautam is also one of those people whom we should always support. He is a hero of Indian cricket.” The best players in the world have struggled to understand his special ‘carrom ball’ and it took them almost three years to master it.
Ashwin said, “I started throwing such balls in the nets since 2006 or 2007 which was probably the second season of first-class cricket for me.” He said, “I bowled this ball after about two years during the South Zone matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (KS Subbaiah Pillai Trophy) in 2008. By 2010, I was probably quite confident about the speed at which I used to bowl.” Ashwin said, “So it took me about two to three years to gain confidence.” The IPL has changed the lives of young Indian cricketers and has been ‘fantastic’ for the country’s cricket ecosystem but Ashwin believes that the ultimate goal for an aspiring cricketer should always be to play for the country.
He said, “I am very happy that a lot of young kids are now coming forward and earning well. It is changing their livelihood, changing the status of their families. It is incredible for India, for the Indian cricket ecosystem.” Ashwin said, “But I still feel that all these children should have some encouragement and some motivation to want to play for India and it is completely in the hands of the stakeholders and the decision makers.”