Australia spinner Nathan Lyon openly expressed his disappointment after being left out of the playing XI for the second Ashes Test against England, describing himself as feeling “absolutely filthy” in a candid interview.
Reflecting on Lyon’s openness, legendary Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin noted that Indian cricketers often do not enjoy the same freedom to express their emotions publicly. Speaking on his Hindi YouTube channel ‘Ash ki Baat’, Ashwin said:
"Nathan Lyon is lucky that he is from a team where emotions are respected. He expressed himself, and he won’t be considered wrong; he’s still in contention for the next Test. But Indian players are not given the same leeway."
Ashwin explained that while Indian players can voice opinions, public expression of emotions often comes with 'collateral damage', they may be judged harshly or labelled for their character.
"People have emotions, and they should express them. But in India, if you do, you risk harm to yourself. Nathan Lyon is respected for letting his feelings out and I really admire that," Ashwin added.
To illustrate cultural differences in acceptance, Ashwin compared the global adoration of Chris Gayle’s self-proclaimed “Universe Boss” persona with the hypothetical reaction to an Indian player like Abhishek Sharma doing the same.
"If Sharma came out tomorrow and called himself 'Universe Boss,' would we accept him? Probably not. We accept others, but struggle to accept our own," Ashwin said, adding: "I hope this changes with time."
Despite Lyon missing the match and with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood sidelined, Australia comfortably won the second Ashes Test. Lyon’s replacement, pace-bowling all-rounder Michael Neser, starred with a five-wicket haul in the second innings, underlining the team’s depth.
