“My job is not to butter everyone’s toast” - Ravi Shastri responds to Ashwin over Kuldeep Yadav statement

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has responded to Ravichandran Ashwin’s statement that he felt crushed when the former termed Kuldeep Yadav as India’s No. 1 overseas spinner. Shastri, in his inimitable style, stated that his job as coach was to state facts without an agenda.

In a recent interview with The Cricket Monthly, Ashwin said he was absolutely crushed on hearing Shastri’s comment that left-arm spinner Kuldeep had become India’s No. 1 overseas spinner. Shastri made a statement after Kuldeep claimed a five-for in the 2019 New Year Test in Sydney. Referring to Ashwin’s injury and fitness issues back then, Shastri had said, “There is a time for everyone”.

In an interaction with The Indian Express, Shastri stuck to his guns and stated that he was only doing what a head coach was supposed to do. Reacting to Ashwin’s comments in the interview, the former all-rounder pointed out:

“Ashwin did not play the Test in Sydney and Kuldeep bowled well. So it’s fair I give Kuldeep a chance.”

Shastri further said that he is actually glad he gave the statement on Kuldeep because it made Ashwin do something different. The 59-year-old added:

“If my statement on Kuldeep hurt Ashwin, I am glad I made that statement. It made him do something different. My job is not to butter everyone’s toast. My job is to state facts without agenda. If your coach challenges you, what will you do? Go home crying and say I won’t come back. I as a player would take it as a challenge, to prove the coach wrong.”

Ashwin played the first Test of the 2018-19 series against Australia in Adelaide and picked up six wickets. However, he was ruled out of the remaining Tests due to a grade three abdomen tear.

“Told bus driver to stop 2-3 feet short” - Ravi Shastri on Ashwin’s ‘thrown under the bus’ statement

During the same interview, Ashwin lamented that he felt like being ‘thrown under the bus’ after hearing Shastri’s statement on Kuldeep. The former India coach, however, drew attention to the fact Ashwin is a changed bowled in comparison to what he was in 2019. Shastri concluded:

“The way Ashwin bowled in 2019 and the way he has bowled in 2021 is chalk and cheese. About throwing Ashwin under the bus, he need not worry because I had told the bus driver to stop 2-3 feet short. The message to Ashwin in 2018 was that he had to be fit. He has worked on that and look how's bowling now. He's world-class.”

35-year-old Ashwin (427 wickets) recently went past Harbhajan Singh’s tally of 417 Test wickets to move to the No. 3 spot among Indian bowlers with the most Test wickets. He now needs eight scalps to surpass the legendary Kapil Dev (434 wickets).