“My Job Is Not To Butter Everyone’s Toast”: Ravi Shastri On Ravichandran Ashwin’s “Crushed” Remark | Cricket News

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri responded to off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s comments about feeling “absolutely crushed” when the former had referred to Kuldeep Yadav as India’s premier spinner in overseas conditions in Test matches. Kuldeep had taken a five-wicket haul in Sydney in the 2018-19 tour. Ashwin said he was genuinely happy for Kuldeep as he knew how difficult it is to take five wickets as a spinner in Australia. “I hold Ravi bhai in high esteem. We all do. And I understand we all can say things and then retract them. In that moment, though, I felt crushed. Absolutely crushed,” Ashwin told ESPNCricinfo. Responding to Ashwin, Shastri said his job is to “state facts without agenda”.

“My job is not to butter everyone’s toast. My job is to state facts without agenda,” Shastri told Indian Express.

The former India all-rounder then went on to explain the rationale behind his comments at that time and added that he is “glad” he made the statement if that made Ashwin go about his job in a better way.

“Ashwin did not play the Test in Sydney and Kuldeep played and took fifer and bowled brilliantly. It was only fair I give that young kid who was probably playing his first or second Test match overseas and he bowled magnificently in that Test match. He bowled as well as any spinner has bowled in that Test match.

“So, I said the way he has bowled here is every chance he could be India’s number one bowler overseas. Now, if that hurt some other player, I would say good. I am glad I made that statement and Ashwin made this statement. Because if it hurt him and he was upset, I’m glad the way he went about his job,” Shastri, who stepped down as India head coach after the 2021 T20I World Cup added.

Shastri said he was “very happy” that his comments made the experienced spinner do something different as the way he was bowling in 2018-19 in Australia and the way he bowled in the last tour in 2020-21 was like “chalk and cheese”.

“I’m the kind of coach who will want a player go inside and say that ‘I am going to show this coach’. You know, ‘I’m going to teach him a lesson and show him what I’m all about’. So, if it upset him, I’m very happy. It made him do something very different which he did.

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“The way he was bowling in 2019 and the he bowled in 2021 in Australia was chalk and cheese. I would go for the cheese any day,” Shastri said.

Ashwin is currently in South Africa, preparing for the three-match Test series beginning on Sunday.