Why does Ashwin find it difficult to be friends with his Indian teammates?

R Ashwin underlined the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a major factor behind the "lack of friendship" between players

Following India's loss in the World Test Championship in June and the criticism around the management dropping Ravichandran Ashwin from the playing XI, the off-spinner had exposed a sad reality of the dressing room scenario in the Indian team.

He said intense competition across all formats had left teammates as "mere colleagues", with the word "friendship" taking a backseat.

Two months later, Ashwin explained that people have misread the viral comment.

What was Ashwin's "colleagues, not friends" comment?

During an interview in June, Ashwin was asked whether he goes to other cricketers for any help on the cricketing front or for a frank conversation.

 

To this, he replied: "It is a deep topic. This is an era where everybody is a colleague. Once upon a time when cricket was played, all your teammates were friends. Now, they're colleagues. There's a big difference because here people are there to advance themselves and to stride ahead of another person sitting to your right or left."

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He further said cricket improves when "a person shares it and understands another person's technique and journey".

"But it doesn't happen anywhere close to how much it must happen. Nobody will come for your help. It's an isolated journey," he said.

Ashwin's clarification on the "colleagues than friends" comment

Ashwin issued a clarification over his "colleagues than friends" remark, saying that "what I said and what people are understanding are completely different".

"What I meant was that earlier, because the tours used to be long, there was more scope for friendship. But these days, we are constantly playing different formats, different teams. One thing I have always believed is that when you are playing for different teams, it is difficult to be friends. You have to keep that competitive spirit burning to be able to compete," he said.

How the IPL changed the players' dynamics in changing room?

Ashwin underlined the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a major factor behind the "lack of friendship" between players.

He said when a cricketer plays the IPL for three months, his (international) teammates end up becoming his opposition.

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"When you play so much for different teams, I am not saying friendship doesn't happen, but it is very difficult. But then again, that is the way of the world, the changing landscape, and I don't think there is anything negative about it," he said.

The variety of formats and competitions in cricket these days, he said, has come to a great distance from the old times.

Thus, maintaining friends like in old times is quite difficult, he added.