Chennai: Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin Friday termed Riyan Parag’s vaping incident during an IPL match as something that could have been avoided, urging young players to be mindful of their actions in public spaces. The Rajasthan Royals skipper, who has been in poor form during the ongoing IPL, was caught vaping on camera during the match against Punjab Kings.
Vaping or smoking any kind of electronic product is banned, and BCCI has fined the Assam player 25 per cent of his match fees for “bringing the game to disrepute”.
“I think this is totally a situation that could have been avoided. I want players not to get trapped in such things. I don’t really want that for a young player, and this is a little sensitive, too. I think, on all quadrants, if we look at so many things, this could have been avoided,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Offering advice from the perspective of a senior cricketer, he emphasised the need to separate personal choices from public space, stating, “Sometimes what happens…it’s a personal choice, but your personal choice should be in your personal space. If you do all this in a public space, that can very well be avoided.”
Ashwin then had a piece of advice for Parag, with whom he had played alongside at the Royals.
“All I would say is this: it’s my small advice as an elder brother. I want to tell Riyan Parag that, whatever happens in your personal life, nobody has any concern about it. Nobody can say anything about that. But whatever you do, do it in your personal space, because you are a captain, you are a franchise leader.
“You are probably an inspiration for many cricketers, many youth, many young Indians, and young people around the world. So there is some responsibility too,” he added.
Ashwin, however, was sympathetic for the young cricketer. “I have my deepest empathy and sympathy for the young kid, but at the same time, I totally believe all these things should and can be avoided,” he added.
“It can’t be easy. In today’s world, I also sometimes read things and think, I mean, sometimes this happens. I’m not saying these things should be let go under the carpet, because if action isn’t taken, nobody will learn from it. But it is better to avoid these things,” Ashwin underlined the possibility of learning from the incident.
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