Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'In spite of some weaknesses, Ashwin is a great cricketer' that was published in Newsband

In spite of some weaknesses, Ashwin is a great cricketer

Ashwin became the first spinner to win cricket’s biggest individual prize, the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy. He is just the third bowler to be named ICC Cricketer of the Year. He was also adjudged Test Cricketer of the Year. Ashwin’s success has been instrumental in India becoming the premier Test side this year.

Those people who have seen Ashwin from his days of league cricket know him as a man who is too arrogant and too thin-skinned to criticism. He would be well-advised to take a leaf out of Kumble/Dravid's book and learn to take the rough with the smooth. When you are in public life (especially cricketers in India) you have to accept criticism as a way of life. Ashwin reacts badly to criticism. A calmer approach to non-cricket matters, keeping his arrogance in check will be the key in deciding his longevity and what he leaves behind as a legacy. Aggression on the field is ok, but off the field? He is a great talent who needs to recognise his place in cricket history and work to maintain it.

Coming to Ashwin’s positive side, he is arguably the spearhead bowler of the Indian team. Let’s hope that he is not at the pinnacle of his career yet and has more to deliver in the upcoming years. Coming to the Indian team, it shall be tested to their fullest when they venture out of the subcontinent to 'greener pastures' like England, South Africa and Australia.

This is a new beginning of Indian test cricket. Fast-quick youth generation is not actually impressed by an enlarged way of game like test matches but after the Ashwin's achievement, interest will again increase. Now that Ashwin has proved that it is hard for the opposition to overpower him, it remains to be seen whether he can spin a magic on the pacy wickets of Australia and South Africa. He may have some advice from the spin trio who scared Australia in their own den despite the open partiality of umpires in those days. Hopefully, he will come up to the expectations on overseas.

Aswin deserves all the praise for his fantastic and assiduous performance for the year with his magic bowling and his studious concentration on his bowling brings him laurels with double crowns as ICC player of the year and the best test cricketer of the year. Some forty years back there was domination of branded players in the test squad and they were confident of retaining their place in the test side despite their poor performance. But now the formula is 'hit out or get out, and no player can have permanency in the team without performance. Aswin proves his class of bowling in any form of cricket and he deserves all commands for his job. He certainly deserves more feathers in his cap and Indian test squad is very strong and young players are proving their talent and they can 'cook' at any pitch and the upcoming overseas tests will be instrumental to prove their worth again in test cricket.