Simon Doull has criticised experts and fans for attacking R Ashwin over the ‘extra run’ controversy and his subsequent fall-out with Tim Southee and Eoin Morgan, stating that it was Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant who was at fault.

Doull, who was on commentary duty when the incident involving Ashwin, Morgan and Southee panned out on Tuesday, has insisted that the India off-spinner should not be on the receiving end of criticism following the extra run that the Delhi Capitals batters took after a throw from a fielder hit Pant’s gloves in an IPL clash. Ashwin has come under fierce heat after he and the overseas pair were involved in a tense on-field discussion, posting a lengthy Twitter thread setting out his side of the story. Doull believes the Tamil Nadu cricketer is just an “easy target.”

“There is nothing on Ashwin and everyone who is blaming him is barking up the wrong tree. He has become such an easy target because of Jos Buttler’s run-out at the non-striker’s end. He’s such an easy target for the ‘Spirit of the Game’. People have no right to have a go at him,” he said on Cricbuzz Live.

Doull further added that the blame rests on Pant, the batter who was on strike and agreed to take a single even after the ball from the fielder hit his hands. “This is all on Rishabh Pant. I was calling the incident, and I don’t believe for a second that Ashwin knew the ball had hit Pant’s gloves. I have watched it time and time again. He is turning as the ball goes, and the ball does not deviate in any other direction. It actually carries on in its path, so Ashwin doesn’t know that it’s hit Pant’s glove. So he calls for an extra run, and is well within his right to do so.

“My point is that this is all on Pant. He’s the skipper. He knows it’s hit his hand. He then needs to go to Morgan and the umpire and say ‘I want to take the run back. It’s hit my glove, and we went for the extra run’. Pant is the captain, he knew what he should have done, and he didn’t do it at the time.”

Doull also came down harshly on the critics who have attacked Ashwin. “Don’t keep blaming Ashwin for something he has nothing to do with. People sitting on the other side of the world are posting on Twitter that it’s a disgrace haven’t even seen the game.”