Australia vs India, Boxing Day Test: Sunil Gavaskar defends Virat Kohli’s fine: Can’t hang a man for picking a pocket

Legendary Sunil Gavaskar reiterated his stance against Virat Kohli shouldering Sam Konstas on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test, but said there were no favours done to the superstar cricketer in terms of the fine that was handed to him by the International Cricket Committee. Gavaskar quoted instances of players getting similar sanctions for physical contact on the field, stressing that protocols were followed in Kohli’s case as well.

Speculation was rife that Virat Kohli would be handed a one-match ban for shouldering 19-year-old Sam Konstas at the MCG in a heated on-field moment. However, Kohli escaped a suspension and was fined 20 percent of his match fee. Match referee Andy Pycroft charged him for Level 1 offence, the lowest level of punishment for physical contact on the field.

A section of the Australian media, however, hit out against the governing body, accusing it of being lenient towards Virat Kohli. Former cricketers Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh lashed out at the authorities for not handing Kohli a harsher punishment for the Boxing Day act.

“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.

Virat Kohli was handed a demerit point for the offence. It was the former captain’s first ICC sanction since 2019.

GAVASKAR CITES PREVIOUS INSTANCES

Gavaskar highlighted how Ireland fast bowler Josh Little and Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah received similar fines for making deliberate physical contact with opposition players in the last 12 months.

While Josh Little was handed a 15 per cent match fee for making contact with Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza in a T20I game in Harare last year, Bumrah was just reprimanded for physical contact with England batter Ollie Pope in a Test match earlier this year.

“I know in this particular year, there have been four such incidents in which there have been fines. Last December, Ireland bowler Josh Little was fined 15 percent for a physical contact with a batter, a Level 1 offence. In that game, Andy Pycrot was the match referee.

“Jasprit Bumrah was also reprimanded for Lavel 1 physical contact for physical contact with England’s Ollie Pope,” Gavsakar said.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.