Ravichandran Ashwin clarifies his stand on CSK-Manchester United tragedy comments

India’s ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin faced a lot of criticism for comparing Chennai Super Kings’ return to the Indian Premier League with Football club Manchester United post-1958 Munich air crash tragedy. In case you didn’t know, the CSK team that was banned in 2015, is all set to return in the 2018 edition of the cash-rich league. However, Ashwin, who plays for the Chennai based franchise, has faced a lot of heat on social media for a comment equating the two incidents.

Following the tragedy, the supporters of Man Utd increased by manifold. Ten years after that, the club, including two survivors of the crash, Bobby Charlton and Bill Foulkes – became the first winners of the European Cup from England. However, to compare CSK’s return to a tragedy that killed so many people didn’t come across as right, in the moral sense at least. This led to a backlash and the spinner received much flak.

When the off-spinner was asked by a newspaper to comment on Chennai’s return to IPL fold, he said, “I think the two-year hiatus for CSK probably increases its value much like what it did for Manchester United when the air crash happened (in 1958, when 23 people, including eight of Manchester United’s players died).”

Ashwin clears the air 

Following all the criticism, Ashwin took to social media to make his part clear. The 30-year-old clarified his statement and even took dig at trolls. “Guys please take the reporting with a pinch of salt with respect to the Munich tragedy and CSK. All I said was the break will make the fans turn up in numbers when the come back happens. Not required to blow it out of context,” he wrote on his Twitter handle.

CSK is one of the most followed franchises in the IPL; as the team is making a comeback MS Dhoni will continue to helm the affairs, the fans definitely will turn up in numbers larger than ever.