Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will miss his Big Bash League debut for the Sydney Thunder due to knee surgery. The off-spinner had announced his retirement from the IPL earlier this year, making him available to participate in foreign franchise leagues.
Ashwin says he hurt his knee while preparing for the upcoming season of the Big Bash League. The 39-year-old also added that he would like to play later in the season if rehabilitation and travel plans allow him to do so.
“I am sad to miss BBL|15. My focus now is on recovery and coming back stronger. I am grateful to the Thunder family and the fans for the warmth they have already shown me. Trent [Copeland, Thunder general manager] and the entire management made me feel part of the club from our very first conversation,” Ashwin said in a Sydney Thunder statement.
“I will be watching every match and cheering on both our men's and women's teams. Once the rehabilitation and travel plans are complete and only if the doctors are satisfied, I would love to join the group later in the season and meet the fans. I wish both Thunder teams a great year,” the spinner added.
Notably, Ashwin had gone unsold at the ILT20 auction, meaning the Big Bash was his only chance to play professional cricket. The renowned spinner had also announced his retirement from all formats of international cricket last year.
Sydney Thunder react to Ashwin's injury:
Commenting on the injury, Sydney Thunder General Manager Trent Copeland said: “Everyone at Sydney Thunder was devastated to hear of Ash's knee injury, which has ruled him out of the BBL|15, and we wish him the best of luck in his recovery. From the moment we first spoke to Ash, his commitment to Thunder was clear. We hope to welcome him into our dugout for part of BBL|15, introduce him to our fans at events and build a long-term relationship.”
Sydney Thunder have the option to sign an injury replacement for Ashwin. However, the franchise has a lot of spin options at its disposal, including Chris Green, Tanveer Sangha, Shadab Khan and Tom Andrews.
Ashwin had been in contact with Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg and BBL chief Alaistair Dobson before being signed by the Sydney Thunder. Many Australian fans would have been looking forward to seeing an Indian player of Ashwin's stature playing alongside David Warner in the BBL and bowling to many other Australian batsmen.
