R Ashwin has made a scathing attack on those who have said that India are having an advantage playing in Dubai in the ongoing Champions Trophy.
“Tournaments are won on the basis of performances, not excuses,” Ashwin said on his Hindi YouTube channel “Ash Ki Baat.”
“I am laughing when people ask our captain and coach the same question about having an advantage playing in Dubai. In the 2009 Champions Trophy, South Africa played all their games at the same venue and even then they failed to qualify for the knockouts. It was not South Africa’s fault that they didn’t qualify then. Teams qualified only because they play good cricket,” he said.
India have won all their matches in Dubai, including against the eventual finalists, New Zealand.
“India is in the final because they have played solid cricket. No matter what happens in the final, they deserved to be finalists because of the kind of cricket they have played. Please don’t throw mud at our own cricketers because of someone else’s narrative.
“I know a Test team that travels to India, loses the series, and then blames it on the pitches. Imagine an Indian cricketer coming out and saying such things if we lost a series overseas. We never do that.
“If India wins this trophy, we will be winning the title back-to-back. Let’s celebrate them. Don’t buy into this narrative.”
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In the 2023 ODI World Cup, India traveled 8400 km in their league stage alone.
“In the 2023 World Cup, we played at nine different venues. I was with the team, I traveled with the team. I agree with David Miller, a one and a half hour flight does increase lactic acid in your body. But you must understand it is not in the Indian team’s hands. The ICC has made the fixtures. This schedule was decided even before an Indian became ICC chief,” he said.
