‘I really respect Nathan Lyon; he let his emotions out’
‘People have emotions… However, I cannot express my emotions, because if I do, I will lose out, and only my harm will be caused’
Ravichandran Ashwin has offered a strikingly honest perspective on why Indian players rarely express their emotions publicly after being dropped -- a contrast thrown into sharp relief by Nathan Lyon’s viral “filthy” remark. Speaking on his YouTube show Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin said bluntly that Lyon is “lucky” to be in a system where a player can vent without fear of fallout.
Lyon was left out of Australia’s XI for the second Ashes Test at the Gabba and didn’t hesitate to say he felt “filthy” about the call. His candour earned praise worldwide, but it also triggered a debate: why don’t Indian players speak this freely?
Asked this directly, Ashwin who himself spent years being benched overseas but never went public with his feelings explained the difference with refreshing clarity.
“Nathan Lyon is lucky,” Ashwin said. “If anyone is dropped from the team, the emotions would be similar to what Lyon expressed in front of the world. He got the media to express his views, and he did just that. The Australian team wouldn't feel bad, and he would play the Adelaide Test. I am just happy for Nathan Lyon.”
Ashwin then revealed why he never did the same.
“People have emotions… However, I cannot express my emotions, because if I do, I will lose out, and only my harm will be caused. So why will I do that? However, I really respect Nathan Lyon; he let his emotions out. Good on him.”
While clarifying that Indian players are permitted to speak freely, Ashwin said the cost of honesty can be high.
“We, as Indian cricketers, are allowed to express our opinion. No one is stopping us. But what is collateral damage? Your expression and emotion are not given as much respect because you will be stamped as a person of a certain character for doing that. I hope this will change… and it should.”
He also highlighted the cultural contrast that discourages Indian players from being unabashedly themselves.
“Just take the example of Chris Gayle… He himself said, ‘I am the Universe Boss’, and we accepted that. Now imagine Abhishek Sharma comes to a press conference wearing a big chain and says, ‘I am the Universe Boss’. Will we accept him? No.”
Ashwin concluded by saying Indian players instinctively think about long-term consequences -- something their Australian counterparts don’t have to fear.
This, he said, is why Lyon is ‘lucky’: he can speak his mind, be emotional, and return to the XI without judgement -- a freedom Indian cricketers still don’t fully have.
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