R Ashwin
Credit: PTI Photo
R Ashwin seems to be in the news for all wrong reason these days. After retiring from international cricket, the off-spinning all-rounder continues to play franchise cricket.
In the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) T20 tournament, Ashwin leads the Dindigul Dragons where he is running into one trouble after the other.
First, he was fined 30 per cent of his match fees for showing dissent at the umpire. With no provision for referral, after being given out leg before wicket in the tie against IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans on June 8 at Coimbatore, Ashwin was so livid that he kept on arguing with the umpire and then out of frustration, hit his own pads and later threw his batting gloves in the dug out.
And now comes a ball tampering allegation against the all-rounder and his team, though he has been cleared of it.
As per a report by cricinfo, TNPL franchise Siechem Madurai Panthers lodged complaint against him and Dindigul Dragons, the team he captains.
In a match held in Salem on June 14, the Dragons were accused of using towels “Treated with chemicals” to alter the condition of the ball.
The controversy escalated when Panthers CEO Mahesh S wrote to the TNPL, claiming “blatant”; tampering by the Dragons and asking them them to investigate the source of the towel.
However, TNPL authorities denied any wrongdoing and cleared Ashwin and his team of the charges after an internal enquiry.
"The towels in question were TNCA-issued and equally available to both teams," said TNPL CEO Prasanna Kannan.
"The Playing Control Team - including on-field umpires and the match referee - maintained full oversight of the ball throughout the match. No concerns were raised during play, and no verifiable evidence has been provided. The claims appear speculative and post-facto in nature," he added to put an end to the ball-tampering row.