India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey heaped praise on R Ashwin, saying that the senior off-spinner has been a complete team man, adding that he has never seen him grumpy over calls to bench him. Mhambrey, speaking to the press on the eve of India’s World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh, spoke highly of the strength of the Indian bowling attack.
Paras Mhambrey explained that the team management has always been clear with the conversations they have had with players when it comes to team selection.
Ashwin was added to India’s World Cup 2023 squad in the eleventh hour after an injury to Axar Patel, who was originally picked in the 15-man squad. The off-spinner played a series against Australia in September, which was also his first assignment in an ODI since January 2022. However, the team management, including head coach Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid, backed the off-spinner’s experience, saying he was always in their contingency plans.
“And in that sense, he has been a great lad, he understands that. He is a great team guy. I have never seen him grumpy, never seen him complaining anytime for any of the last few years, he has been with us. Having someone like that really helps. And I think credit goes to him. Even after so many years, he is there, he wants to do well for the team, he turns up every practice session, goes through the rigours, and he keeps bowling. He is a great team man. I must compliment that,” he added.
Mhambrey, who joined the team as a bowling coach in 2021, was not part of the team management when India dropped Ashwin for 4 successive Tests in England in 2021 but he was in-charge when Ashwin did not find a place in the XI in the World Test Championship final at the Oval earlier this year.
