R Ashwin clears air, says he would never ask ICC to relax rules to help bowl 'doosra'

Ravichandran Ashwin. Pic/AFP

Seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday clarified that he would never say that the International Cricket Council (ICC) should look to relax the 15-degree rule to help bowl the 'doosra'.

Ashwin's clarification came as some media reports cited the off-spinner's YouTube channel and quoted him as wanting the apex cricket body to relax the rule.

Taking to Twitter, Ashwin sighted an article and replied: "Really?? Pls, don't carry the wrong stuff!! I will never say such a thing."

In another tweet, the spinner said: "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."

Ashwin has taken 409 wickets in 78 Tests at an average of 24.69, including 30 five-wicket hauls and seven 10-wicket hauls. He is also India's fourth-highest wicket-taker in the longest format.

Earlier, former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar had said that he has a problem with people terming Ashwin as the best spinner going around as the spinner does not have enough five-wicket hauls outside India.

"One basic problem I have with Ashwin is that when you look at SENA countries, places where Indians find themselves outside their comfort zone, it's amazing to see that he doesn't have a single five-wicket haul. Not one five-wicket haul in all these countries," said Manjrekar on ESPNcricinfo's program 'Run Order'.

"The other thing -- you talk about him running through sides on Indian pitches, when pitches are suited to his kind of bowling. But in the last four years, Ravindra Jadeja has matched him with wicket-taking ability throughout a series. So, Ashwin is not a guy who soars above the others. And interestingly, in the last series against England, Axar Patel got more wickets than Ashwin on similar pitches. That is my problem with accepting Ashwin as an all-time great," he added.

However, Ashwin replied to the criticism in the funniest manner possible. Ashwin shared a famous dialogue from the Tamil movie 'Aparachith' and it read as: "Apdi Solladha Da Chaari, Manasellam Valikirdhu."

When translated into English, the dialogue can be read as: "Don't say things like that, it hurts."

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