"Respect doesn’t come with wins or losses": Ashwin’s cheeky jibe on Ramiz Raza

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• Oct 11, 2022 | Dhupali Das

Ashwin began by adding that while it may be Raja's method of coping with things, wins and losses are...

Digital Desk: Ravichandran Ashwin has hit back at Ramiz Raja after the latter made a controversial statement on Dawn News, claiming that the "one-billion-dollar" Indian team had begun to respect Pakistan after defeating them in last year's T20 World Cup and this year's Asia Cup in the UAE.

Ashwin began by adding that while it may be Raja's method of coping with things, wins and losses are part of the game.

"That is one way of dealing with it. But look, it is a game of cricket, whatever political tensions, we don't play very often. The rivalry is big. It means a lot to the people of both countries, but at the end of the day, you do understand as a sportsperson that wins and losses are part of the game," R Ashwin said.

Further, he asserted that respecting an opponent had nothing to do with winning or losing. "In this format, the margins will be razor-thin, and respect for an opponent doesn't come with victories or losses; it comes from who you are as a person. We respect the Pakistani team, and they respect us," R Ashwin said.

Ashwin also discussed India's bowling difficulties, saying, "Look, we can get caught up with what happens in T20 games and in bilateral series back in India. It's only fair to say the bowlers are getting hit around the park but we also need to understand the boundaries are very close to the 30-yard circle in India. When we come to Australia, the boundaries are far bigger, gives the bowlers a bit of license to work with."

Ashwin has been a top bowler for India. In 59 games throughout the course of his career, he has 66 wickets at an economy rate of 6.80.