R Ashwin
Veteran Indian spinner and Delhi Capitals bowler Ravichandran Ashwin on Monday revealed that he has had an interesting conversation with franchise head coach Ricky Ponting, although over the phone, one that all of cricketing fraternity are curiously waiting for especially after the Aussie great's recent comment on Mankading last week.
Ashwin, who is presently in the UAE for the impending 13th season of the Indian Premier League, did mention that the two would have a conversation once Ponting reaches Dubai. Ashwin also did not reveal any details of their telephonic conversation.
Earlier last week, Ponting said that he would have a "hard conversation" with Ashwin warning him about no mankading while he is the head coach of Delhi Capitals, while bringing up the 'Spirit of Cricket' argument.
"Ricky Ponting hasn't yet reached (Dubai). After he comes, we will sit for a chat with him. He said he wants to have a conversation. We have already spoken over the phone. It was a very interesting chat," Ashwin said in his new 'Hello Dubaiahh?' YouTube show.
"What happens sometimes is Australians' messages in English get lost in translation and reach us with a different meaning. Even some of their jokes become news. That's what it is and next week I will reveal a bit more about my conversation with Ricky."
Ashwin had mankaded Jos Buttler during an IPL 2019 match which left the whole of cricketing fraternity divided. While few criticised him saying that the dismissal was against the 'Spirit of Cricket', others defended him saying that it was well within the rules of the game.
"I'll be having a chat with him about (Mankad), that's the first thing I'll do," Ponting had said on The Grade Cricketer Podcast.
"That's going to be a conversation and that's going to be a hard conversation I will have to have with him, but I'm pretty sure he'll take it on the chin.
"I think, even him, looking back now, probably he'd say it was within the rules and he's right to do it, but this is not within the spirit of the game, not in the way I want, at least with the Delhi Capitals anyway."
