New Delhi: Former England spinner Monty Panesar has said that if Indian spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin was in the English team, he would have told to retire by now. In a brutal dig at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Panesar, who is of Indian descent, said that at the age of 38, Ashwin would have been left out to favour many young players in the team.
Ashwin smashed 113 with the bat against Bangladesh in the first innings, and then picked up six wickets with the ball to guide India to an emphatic victory in the first Test match in Chennai. Recently, pacer James Anderson called it quits at the age of 41, with many experts stating that they felt that Anderson had been forced to retire.
“They experiment more. If Ashwin was English right now, then they would have told him to retire because they want to bring youngsters who have the potential to play. But I think England experiments more, and they like to experiment,” Panesar told news agency ANI.
Panesar addresses Ashwin vs Nathan Lyon debate
The former England spinner further shared his take on the Ravichandran Ashwin vs Nathan Lyon debate. Often, comparisons have been made between the two spin bowling legends, with some in favour of the Indian legend while others regarding Lyon as the superior bowler.
“I think I see Nathan Lyon in my opinion. Yes, he is a better bowler. But I think Ashwin is a better bowler in India. I think he thinks like a batter when he bowls. He is able to pick out the weakness and he can exploit it, and that is his biggest advantage. He bats really well when he bowls; he knows what the batters are thinking,” Panesar added.
Meanwhile, Panesar, who announced his retirement in February 2021, represented England in 50 Tests, 26 ODIs, and 1 T20I.
Ravichandran Ashwin smashed 113 with the bat against Bangladesh, and then picked up six wickets with the ball to guide India to victory in the first Test. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
