Former Australian cricket team star Kerry O’Keeffe apologised to Virat Kohli for calling him “arrogant” during the fourth Test match between India and Australia in Melbourne. Following the on-field spat between Kohli and debutant Sam Konstas, O’Keeffe said that Kohli’s “entire career was built on arrogance” and even added that the star India batter could not take the fact that his aggression was met with a similar reaction from a youngster making his Test debut. “Kohli has built his whole career on arrogance. Suddenly, he identified that in a debutant and seemed to resent it,” O’Keeffe said.
O’Keeffe apologised to Kohli for his comment and she said that he should not have done that. He went on to say that “aggression is what makes him a competitive cricketer” for the India batter.
“I want to apologise for calling Virat Kohli’s behaviour arrogance. I shouldn’t have said that. He has got a swagger and plays his cricket like that. I think when he saw another player showing swagger like him, he got a bit annoyed and reacted in that fashion. Kohli is a passionate cricketer and his aggression is what makes him a competitive cricketer,” said O’Keeffe.
Virat Kohli was not extended any special treatment, asserted Indian great Sunil Gavaskar but some former Australian players felt the batting superstar got away lightly for his physical altercation with debutant Sam Konstas in the ongoing Boxing Day Test here.
Kohli was fined 20 per cent of his match fee and handed a demerit point for a brief face off with Konstas on Thursday during which the two players bumped shoulders and exchanged words. The run-in was initiated by Kohli but the 19-year-old Konstas insisted that their physical contact was accidental.
The showdown remained a talking point even on Friday with Gavaskar slamming the Australian media for going after Kohli and demanding harsher punishment for him.
“You can’t hang a man for picking someone’s pocket,” Gavaskar remarked, dismissing claims that Kohli was let off lightly.
“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,” he pointed out on Star Sports after the first session.
“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.
(With PTI inputs)
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