Kohli on treatment given to Smith and Warner: The Indian captain was vocal about the treatment given to the banned Australian duo.
Advertisement
India captain Virat Kohli was recently vocal about the banned Australian duo of Steven Smith and David Warner. In an exclusive interview with former Australia wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist for Fox Sports, Kohli opened up on the harsh treatment offered to the pair after they were banned.
“What happened after … I felt very bad. The things that happened afterward should not have happened. The things that hit me the hardest was the way they were received at the airports and escorted out. It is not my place to comment on the decisions. But to treat people like that for me it was unpleasant to see,” Kohli was quoted as saying.
The 30-year old cricketer was referring to the Cape Town Test of Australia’s tour of South Africa earlier this year. Apparently, the then Australia captain Steven Smith and vice-captain David Warner were found guilty of ball tampering.
While both of them accepted their mistake, they were severely bashed for their on-field behaviour by the media. Surprising photos and videos of them being escorted by police officials on their way to the airport had gone viral at that time.
As an elite sportsperson, Kohli must have understood what the duo must have gone through during those tough times. Kohli laid emphasis on the fact that watching your counterparts going through what they did was hurtful.
“It was sad to see, to be honest. As big a thing as it became, you never want to see anyone go through that,” Kohli added.
Currently playing in the first Test of the four-match series against Australia, Kohli is on the brink of leading India to a rare Test victory in Australia. With one more day remaining, India requires six wickets to win, whereas the hosts require another 219 runs to go 1-0 up in the series.
Read some of the latest Twitter reactions on Kohli below:
