Virat Kohli Fined for Unsporting Behavior
The Indian batter Virat Kohli is fined 20% of the match fee. He has been penalized with one demerit point for bumping shoulders with Sam Konstas. The incident occurred in the 10th over on the first day of the Test match. Kohli was found guilty of violating Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct. The article prescribes inappropriate physical contact, by the International Cricket Council. Kohli admitted to the incident while giving his testimony in front of referee Andy Pycroft after the day’s play. The charge was leveled against him by the umpires, Joel Wilson, Michael Gough, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, and Shawn Craig.
ICC’s Rules on Physical Contact in Cricket
Cricket is not a contact sport, and it does have stringent rules against physical interaction. The part of the ICC’s Code of Conduct that applies here is that any physical contact, whether deliberate, reckless, or negligent, is considered a breach. In making those assessments, criteria such as intent, force, and general context of the situation are all distinguished.
The Immediate Reactions to the Incident
The incident provoked an instant reaction from players and commentators. It was disappointing to former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who said, “Virat walked across the pitch to instigate the confrontation. Fielders should not be near the batsman at that stage.”
Ravi Shastri, former India coach, also disapproved of Kohli’s behavior. He said, “There’s a line you shouldn’t cross.” However, the Australian opener involved in the incident, Konstas, said it was not a big deal: “It happens.”
Kohli, a penalty to be incurred. According to ICC regulations, the player whose demerit points accrued to four or more within the duration of twenty-four months suffers a suspension. Two suspension points guarantee a player’s suspension for one Test, two ODIs, or two T20s, whichever comes first.
Kohli has committed his first misdeed within the last two years. The demerit point earned would stay in his records for the next 24 months.
Comparisons with Similar Cases
The punishment meted out to Kohli is healthy with the current ICC ones. Earlier this year, Bangladesh’s Tanzim Hasan Shakib was handed a fine of 15% of his match fee. He was involved in a verbal altercation with minor touches as well. Match referee Andy Pycroft, the one who dealt with Kohli’s case, is among the most senior referees of the ICC. He had just completed his officiating in the 100th Test match.
