The report suggests that R Ashwin’s father had bought Melbourne and Sydney tickets and later canceled

R Ashwin’s father cancelled his tickets to Australia after getting a late night call from him.

Ravichandran Ashwin recently shook everyone by announcing his retirement. Ashwin’s call saddened fans, cricket lovers, and the cricket fraternity. His father, Ravichandran, had also reportedly booked tickets for the Boxing Day Test and the New Year’s Test in Melbourne and Sydney.

Ashwin’s father had reportedly booked tickets for the Australia Tests.

Ashwin’s family is equally shocked by his retirement announcement, as is the rest of the cricket world. Announcing retirement in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, Ashwin has saddened everyone with the decision. His father, Ravichandran, had reportedly booked flight tickets for the Boxing Day Test and New Year’s Test in Melbourne and Sydney, respectively, hoping that his son would return to the playing XI. He had to cancel the tickets when Ashwin called home to inform his decision to retire in Brisbane.

Ashwin wanted to give one final push in the Australia Test.

As per a report in The Indian Express, Ashwin first considered retirement during last year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in India. He, however, decided to give “one final push” in Australia this year as there weren’t any immediate red-ball assignments for Team India after that. The report said, “With his knee giving him trouble, he had given retirement a thought. Those in his close circle say even before he left for Australia, he was in two minds but wanted to give one final push as there isn’t any immediate Test series lined up post the tour Down Under. So once he boarded the flight to Perth, his family and friends expected him to finish the series, with father Ravichandran even booking flight tickets to watch the Boxing Day and New Year Tests. On Tuesday night, he phoned to inform them that December 18 would be his last day as an international cricketer.”

Ashwin flew back to Chennai the same evening and was warmly welcomed by his family and friends on Thursday morning. His father told CNN News18, “I, too, came to know at the last minute. The way in which he gave that (retirement), there could be many reasons. Only Ashwin knows, maybe humiliation.” After the statement, Ashwin clarified, “My father isn’t media trained, dey father inneda ithelaam (what’s all this, father). I never thought you will follow this rich tradition of ‘dad statements.’ Request you all to forgive him and leave him alone.”