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Virat Kohli had a heated altercation with Sam Konstas on Thursday for which he was fined 20 per cent of his match fee and received a demerit point.
Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas bumped into each other on Day 1. (AP Photro)
Virat Kohli’s altercation with Sam Konstas drew widespread criticism but the response to his punishment has been equally if nor more severe. ICC fined the Indian cricketer 20 per cent of his match fee and added a demerit point to his disciplinary record. However, a few former Australian cricketers aren’t happy with the quantum of punishment and feel it’s not harsh enough to act as a deterrent.
However, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar feels that while the heated exchange between the two cricketers wasn’t ideal, he thinks Kohli was punished as per the ICC rules, dismissing insinuations that the India star may have received favourable treatment.
“You can’t hang a man for picking someone’s pocket,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports. “That’s a slap on the wrist. All these players are highly paid professionals. Any fines will have to be a deterrent. Yes, you could say that the degree of punishment maybe light because of what we see and experience but that’s the maximum punishment decided by the ICC.”
“So, it’s not that he’s been done any favour. If the final punishment would have been say 10 percent you could have said then there’s a favour done,” he added.
The Australian media was highly critical of Kohli with one publication calling him ‘Clown’ for “pathetic bump” in Konstas debut.
Gavaskar reminded how players who have been involved in such incidents in the past have received similar punishment.
“The Australian media acts like their 12th or 13th player, targeting anyone they perceive as a threat to their team. They are asking that Kohli should be hanged for a minor offence and he’s got away because he is Kohli but that’s not it,” Gavaskar said.
“Last December, Ireland’s Josh Little was fined 5 per cent of his match fee for physical contact with a batter in a game refereed by Andy Pycroft, the same referee in this match. Jasprit Bumrah was reprimanded for physical contact with England’s Ollie Pope, and Nepal’s Arjun Kumar faced penalties for a repeat offense. Kohli has received the maximum punishment (under the rules),” he added.
Former Australia head coach Justin Langer called the media as “brutal” and accused them of targetting high-profile individuals.
“The media, whether in Australia or elsewhere, can be brutal. They target high-profile individuals, and this is no different. I’ve experienced it firsthand; it’s not about India or Kohli specifically; it’s just how the media operates now,” he said.
- Location :
Melbourne (Australia)
