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)
Former Australia batter Mark Waugh and England captain Michael Vaughan has slammed International Cricket Council (ICC) following their “lenient” sanction against Virat Kohli.
Virat Kohli escaped heavy punishment as he walked away with a 20 per cent fine for shoulder-barging 19-year-old Sam Konstas on the opening day of the Boxing Day test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Mark Waugh said the punishment handed down to Kohli left him surprised.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, that sort of behaviour is not on,” he said on Fox Cricket.
India’s Virat Kohli barges into Australia’s Sam Konstas on Day 1 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (Screengrab via X/@7Cricket)
“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.
“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.”
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