Viachandran Ashwin has no qualms about ‘joking’ out Jos Buttler in an IPL match and said that he took this decision spontaneously and if it is against the spirit of the game, the rules of cricket should be reconsidered. Kings XI Punjab captain Ashwin gave rise to a big controversy by juggling the Rajasthan Royals butler on Monday night in Jaipur. Butler became the first player to be dismissed like this in the 12-year history of the Indian Premier League.
It was seen in the TV replays that Ashwin waited for Butler to come out of the crease before spreading the gills. Ashwin said after winning the match, “It was a decision taken spontaneously. This was not done thoughtfully. This was within the scope of the rule. I do not understand where the issue of sportsmanship came from. It is in the rules. Maybe we have to rethink the rules. ‘
He was reminded that former West Indies captain Courtney Walsh had spared Salim Jafar of Pakistan under such circumstances in the crucial match of the 1987 World Cup in Lahore. Ashwin reacted sharply to this. He said, ‘At that time neither I was playing nor a butler. In this case, this comparison is meaningless. ‘
It is also being debated whether Ashwin deliberately delayed loading the ball. Ashwin said, ‘I didn’t even load the ball and it came out of the crease. This is my half of the crease and I have always believed it. ‘He also said that the batsman should avoid leaving the crease early in moments that change the picture of such a match. He said, ‘We made no mistake. But I believe this is a moment to change the attitude of the match and the batsman should take precaution.
He praised his bowlers and said, “We knew the pitch would slow down after six overs.” The bowlers deserve congratulations, who kept working on the variation. Sam Karan did not start well but he made a great comeback. We have a lot of options but if five overs are good, what could be better. ‘
