New Delhi, May 1 Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin reacted to Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag's vaping incident and said that such situations could have been avoidable and stressed that it could not be brushed under the carpet.
Parag was allegedly caught vaping inside dressing room when the cameras were panned towards the dressing room during RR's chase against Punjab Kings. The footage went viral instantly, sparking debates over player discipline and the legality of such devices under Indian law.
"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.
“Sometimes what happens is 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. 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.
Later, Parag was fined 25 percent of his match fee and handed a demerit point. A statement from the IPL on Thursday said Parag admitted to breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which covers ‘conduct that brings the game into disrepute.'
Ashwin further stressed that such incidents could not be brushed under the carpet, noting that "if action isn’t taken, nobody will learn from it."
"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. It can’t be easy, man. In today’s world, I also sometimes read things and think, man, 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,” he concluded.
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