'Slip of Tongue'- Rashid Latif on Rohit Sharma referring Ravi Ashwin as an 'All Time Great'

Indian off-spinner Ravi Ashwin managed to scalp a total of six wickets in the first Test match against Sri Lanka played in Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. The match was won by the home-side comfortably by an innings and 222 runs. In due process, veteran spinner Ashwin breached Kapil Dev’s long-standing record of 434 Test wickets to become the second-highest wicket-taker for India.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma who also began his Test captaincy in the first Test match against Lanka lauded the off-spinner Ashwin calling him an ‘all-time great’. Skipper Rohit emphasized the fact that Ashwin has been playing for India for past many years. However, a former Pakistan cricketer thinks otherwise.

Ravi Ashwin is great, but not an all-time great: Rashid Latif

While speaking on his YouTube channel, Rashid Latif called Ashwin a ‘great’ bowler. Adding on, the 53-year-old said that the veteran spinner is yet to get into the list of an ‘all-time great’, given his performances in the overseas games. Latif himself has represented Pakistan in 166 ODIs and 37 Test matches.

“Ashwin, no doubt, is a great bowler. He has brought variations to his bowling. If you look at Ashwin in home conditions with SG ball, no doubt he is the best spinner in India. However, in away conditions, I would not agree with his (Rohit’s) statement. Kumble was very good, he performed really well. Even Jadeja has performed really well. In the past, Bishan Singh Bedi was brilliant,” Latif said on his Youtube channel.

“If we talk only in India, no doubt he is good. I think it (Rohit’s statement) might have been a slip of tongue. It is a way of motivating the players,” he added.

Talking about Ashwin’s numbers, the 35-year old has represented India in 85 Test matches so far scalping 436 wickets at an average of 24.27. In limited over formats, Ashwin has played 164 matches for India, and has taken 212 wickets in the process.