Who’s saying what after Virat Kohli gets away with a fine after shoulder-barging Sam Konstas: ‘Just a slap on the wr’ | Cricket News

The on-field action heated up at the end of the 10th over. Kohli collided shoulder to shoulder as he walked past 19-year-old Konstas, whose risky stroke-play was causing enormous frustration for the fielding side.
Debutant Konstas and 36-year-old Kohli exchanged words after the collision. A visibly angry Kohli started walking back towards Konstas before umpire Michael Gough and Khawaja hurried over to settle things down between the pair.
Later Thursday, the ICC announced the fine and also said Kohli had received one demerit point.
Ponting on 7Cricket
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has said that the Indian batter got away very cheaply and it was not harsh enough.
“Personally, I don’t think it [the punishment] was harsh enough. I know there are precedents [where similar infringements have incurred similar sized penalties] – they’ve generally been between a 15 and 25 per cent fine but let’s have a think about the enormity of yesterday,” Ponting said before the second day’s play on 7Cricket’s coverage of the Test.
India’s Virat Kohli gestures to a member of a crowd during play on the first day of the fourth cricket test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia. (AP)
“It’s probably the most-watched day of cricket all year all around the world. Imagine if that happens in a grade game on the weekend now, what’s going to happen there? I think people are going to think that that’s almost acceptable now.
“And unfortunately for someone like Virat, as we got told as players and as senior players, sometimes it’s [the scale of punishment] just different for some people. He’s a role model, he’s somebody the cricketing world looks up to, so I personally don’t think that the fine was harsh enough.”
Phil Jaques on ABC Sport
Former Australia opener call the ban just a slap on the wr.
“The way I see it that the match review committee deemed it a ‘negligent bump’. I don’t think you can be negligently bump somebody and walk two pitches over… which is what I saw,” Jaques said on ABC Sports
But Kohli should have known better. There is nothing wrong in showing aggression, it is this that has made him a modern-day great. (File)
“It looked like Sam Konstas had got under their skin and he was trying to assert his authority and I know Virat Kohli is Konstas’ favourite player as well so I think he was the one that was targeting him to try it under his skin.
“He veered across I love passion I love competition and I love the theatre of that in test cricket but when it gets to physical contact I think there has to be a line drawn and it has to be you know have to be made accountable for that.
“20% of his match fee like he’s not even know that’s gone out of his bank account Virat Kohli. It’s not even the most serious fine that you can get or sanction for that charge so the maximum penalty is 50% of your match fee and two demerits so he only got 20% of his match fee fined and one demerit.
“I’m not saying he should have been suspended for it but it did seem like a bit of a slap on the on the wr didn’t it? There still needs to be a level of decorum and I think the lines will cross a little bit,” he said.
Waugh and Vaughan on Fox Cricket
Former Australia batter Mark Waugh and England captain Michael Vaughan has slammed ICC following their “lenient” sanction against Virat Kohli.
Speaking on the Fox Cricket broadcast at the start of day two, Waugh admitted the punishment handed down to Kohli left him surprised.
India’s Virat Kohli, talks to Australia’s Sam Konstas, second left, as Australia’s Usman Khawaja, right, looks on during play on the first day of the fourth cricket test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia. (AP)
“It doesn’t matter who you are, that sort of behaviour is not on,” he said.
“He’s extremely lucky that the penalty was very lenient … he could easily have been deemed a level two offence.
“It should be at least 75 per cent [match fee] if you’re going to make it a monetary fine.
“It could lead to something more substantial with the players getting involved or the crowd getting involved, if you’re playing in a hostile environment.
“You just can’t make contact, it’s just not on.”
Michael Vaughan too was surprised to see Kohli getting away so easily.
“I think Virat is very lucky,” he said.
“The altercation yesterday wasn’t a great look for him as a person. To take on a 19-year-old, who was just doing what you do at the end of an over.
“He’s got the same as what Mohammed Siraj got at the Adelaide Oval, so I think he’s got away with it there.
India’s Virat Kohli, right, talks to Australia’s Sam Konstas, second left, as Australia’s Usman Khawaja, looks on during play on the first day of the fourth cricket test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia. (AP)
“I just don’t think the monetary fine is going to affect any of the players in this era of the game and it’s more just the precedent it sets.”
‘Sends a poor message’
Former Australia cricketer Kerry O’Keeffe said Virat Kohli’s shoulder bump on Sam Konstas sent a poor message and he was lucky to avoid a suspension.
“If it was a 100 metre sprint, Virat started in lane six and finished in lane two,” O’Keeffe said on Fox Cricket’s Test Daily.
“Automatic disqualification, you can’t change lanes.
“A level two offence code of conduct for inappropriate contact is two demerit points. He got one so no suspension and a fine. I think it’s about right.
“But the message it sent was poor to those youngsters that play around the world. You do not shoulder bump between overs regardless of how involved you are in the game.”
Gilchr questioned the fine
“I don’t think a financial fine is really going to effect any one of these players,” Gilchr said.
“They earn significant money and it is not going to change the dial too much.
“But that fine and one demerit point is the same punishment as Mohammad Siraj and Travis Head got when they had a little verbal altercation and that was just heat of the moment. But that is the same punishment for Kohli.”

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