‘He was tired of not getting picked’: Ex-AUS star doesn't hold back, calls Ashwin's mid-series retirement a ‘funny one’

Brad Haddin, the former Australia wicketkeeper, has expressed amusement at Ravichandran Ashwin's sudden retirement during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Haddin believes that India may not have had a clear plan for the five-match series, leading to frustration for Ashwin. The spinner did not feature in the playing XI for two out of the first three Tests, which may have prompted his early exit from the series.

The veteran spinner shocked the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from international cricket after the Brisbane Test in the post-match presentation. Ashwin was dropped from the XI for the Brisbane Test after his quiet outing with both ball and bat in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Oval.

Haddin didn't hold back and shared his blunt views on Ashwin's retirement, as he feels that the ace spinner was not impressed with the warming bench, which led to the big decision.

"The first three Test matches, they played three different spinners, so they arrived here not knowing what their game style is going to be around here. It shouldn't be a shock when you get here, they have played here enough, they have success here so the Ashwin retiring mid-series was a funny one. I don't think we've heard the last of that yet. I think he was just jack of not getting picked," Haddin said on the Willow Talk podcast.

He signed off as the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 537 scalps in 106 games, placing him only behind the great Anil Kumble (619 wickets) in the overall statistics.

In the limited-overs format, being part of the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy-winning teams would count among the major highlights of his 14-year career. Ashwin played 116 ODIs for India, claiming 156 wickets, while his 65 T20 International outings yielded 72 scalps. His career began in 2010 in the one-day format before he made his Test debut a year later.

‘He sees himself as the number one spinner’: Brad Haddin

Haddin asserted that Ashwin wasn't willing not to be considered as the first choice spinner, which could have been the reason he took sudden retirement.

"I think he sees himself as the number one spinner. His record is elite, and he just went, 'You know what I'm not sitting on the bench. If you can't decide that I'm your best spinner, I'm done. I've played enough. I don't need this.' I don't think we have heard the end of that," Haddin said.

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