ABU DHABI: India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is plotting a return to white-ball cricket in a bid to play at the ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales next year.
The senior off-spinner has been out of the ODI and T20I outfits for over a year, with his last ODI and T20I coming in July and June 2017 respectively.
Ashwin has not given up on a recall in time to represent India at world cricket's flagship tournament because he believes he was not exiled on the basis of poor form, an ICC report on Tuesday said.
"I didn't do too much wrong to be going out in the white-ball scheme of things," Ashwin said on stage at Salaam Cricket 2018 on Monday.
"But I definitely believe that is was a zone where I needed to improve and achieve better things."
The tall twirler is, however, hopeful of a return despite fierce competition from the likes of left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, as he eyes World Cup glory.
"There is competition in terms of Chalal and Kuldeep, who have done extremely well in the last few months," said Ashwin.
"Massive credit to them. But I do feel there will be a time for me at some stage because I didn't go out due to bad performances.
"I'm always hopeful of what I can achieve in any given game. I believe I can crack a game open with the way I bowl because I'm a very brave bowler. Keeping all these things in mind, [the] World Cup is something that every cricketer wants to play and I do want to play it."
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