'It was a spiteful reaction to not being selected' - South African legend Daryll Cullinan criticizes Ravichandran Ashwin's mid-series retirement

Former South African batter Daryll Cullinan came down hard on Ravichandran Ashwin for his decision to retire mid-way through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The Tamil Nadu off-spinner finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in Tests for India after Anil Kumble.

Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket shortly after the third Test between India and Australia ended in Brisbane. The 38-year-old had played the second Test in Adelaide but was left out of the side to accommodate Ravindra Jadeja at The Gabba. Cullinan said that Ashwin should not have been allowed to retire in the middle of the series. The 57-year-old went on to say that the Chennai-born player's reaction to being dropped from the playing XI was "spiteful".

"Ashwin should not be retiring or allowed to retire mid-series. It was a selfish move, clearly for reasons he won't make public. It was a spiteful reaction to not being selected. It can be disruptive to a team mid-series. It was a matter of weeks. He could have retired after Sydney," Cullinan told Hindustan Times.

I've never been in favour of fast bowlers being captain: Daryll Cullinan

Furthermore, Daryll Cullinan revealed that he was not a big fan of fast bowlers being appointed as captains. He said that Jasprit Bumrah could lead the Indian team for a short while if Rohit decides to relinquish the role.

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"I've never been in favour of fast bowlers being captain. He may be the exception whilst India search for a long-term captain," Cullinan said.

Currently, Team India are trailing 1-2 in the five-match Test series against Australia with one game to play. This encounter is set to take place at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), starting on Friday, January 3. If India manage to win the final Test, they will not only retain the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy but also keep themselves afloat in the World Test Championship (WTC).