Legendary Indian cricketer Virat Kohli was fined 20 per cent of his match fee by the referee over his heated altercation with Sam Konstas also saw a shoulder bump between the players. However, former players like Michael Vaughan and Mark Waugh have been calling the punishment lenient and saying it won't have any effect on them. Now, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri have hit back at these claims with a befitting reply.
Sunil Gavaskar defends Kohli's fine
Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar reaffirmed his opposition to Virat Kohli shouldering Sam Konstas on the first day of the Boxing Day Test, but he claimed that the superstar player had not benefited from the fine imposed by the ICC. Gavaskar emphasized that procedures were followed in Kohli's case as well, citing examples of players receiving comparable fines for making physical contact on the field.
However, some Australian media outlets criticized the governing board, saying it was too lenient of Virat Kohli. Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh, two former cricket players, criticized the authorities for not punishing Kohli more severely for the Boxing Day incident.
"Yes, you would say that the punishment may be light, considering the experience that he has had. But, that’s the maximum punishment that is decided by the ICC, He has not been done any favour," Sunil Gavaskar told Star Sports.
"If, for example, the fine was 10 percent, then you could have said ‘ah, he has been done a favour’. But, the fine for a Level 1 offence is maximum a 20 percent. I am not 100 percent on that, but I am given to understand that there is one demerit point and a fine. That’s the maximum allowed, that’s what has been levied on him. No special favours have been done to him. You can’t hang a man for picking someone’s picket. That’s what the Australian media is asking for. The Australian media think they got away because he is Kohli. But, that is not the thing," he added.
Ravi Shastri on Virat's fine
Ravi Shastri also criticized individuals who expressed dissatisfaction at the lack of more severe punishment for Virat Kohli, saying that the ICC needed to have followed the correct procedures before deciding on the Indian batter's punishment.
"Like I said, the match referee has done his job; the fine has been set at 20% of his match fee. There's a precedent. You know, there was a confrontation between Kagiso Rabada and Steve Smith that was more physical. Rabada was charged with a Level 3 punishment, and then he went and appealed. It was brought down to Level 1 and a 20% fine," said Shastri.
"So, there's a benchmark set. The umpires have a record of the players over the last few years regarding how often players have offended the laws. There are some points given there. A voting process takes place, and then they come up with a decision. Then it goes to the ICC technical committee, which makes the final call.
"So, they would have gone through all that. As I mentioned, there must be a benchmark somewhere, and a lot would have had to do with the Steve Smith and Rabada confrontation to bring it down to Level 1 and impose the punishment. It’s been handed over to the match referee, and you can do nothing about it," Shastri added.