Former Australia cricketer says sorry to Virat Kohli for inappropriate comment: ‘I shouldn’t have said that’

Former Australia cricketer Kerry O’Keeffe apologised for calling Virat Kohli “arrogant”. While criticising Kohli’s act of bumping into Australian debutant Sam Konstas on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, O’Keefe used inappropriate words. The former Australia leg-spinner said, “Kohli has built his entire career on arrogance”. O’Keeffe further went on to add that Kohli could not take another youngster matching his fire with fire.

“Kohli has built his whole career on arrogance. Suddenly, he identified that in a debutant and seemed to resent it,” O’Keeffe said on Thursday.

The 75-year-old, however, realised his mistake and issued an apology on Day 2 of the Test match. “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, who has represented Australia in 24 Test and two ODIs between 1971 and 1977.

Kohli fined by ICC for physical contact with Sam Konstas

Kohli was fined 20 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct. He was found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator during an International Match.”

In addition to this, one demerit point was added to Kohli’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period.

The incident occurred at the end of the 10th over of Australia’s innings, when Kohli walked up to batter Sam Konstas and negligently bumped his shoulder with the batter inappropriately.

Kohli admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Michael Gough, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Shawn Craig levelled the charge.

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.