Irfan Pathan. (L) | (Credits: X)
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan slammed the Australian media for mocking Virat Kohli amid the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The retired cricketer said they will not accept at any cost that the Aussie media uses Kohli’s market value to promote their cricket and demean him, calling out their ‘doglapanti’.
Kohli found himself at the centre of controversy on day one of the ongoing MCG Test as he made a shoulder bump against Sam Konstas in the morning session. The gesture prompted the ICC to fine him 20% of his match fees along with a demerit point. However, an Australian media named ‘The West Australian’ referred to the 36-year-old as ‘Clown Kohli’.
Speaking on Star Sports, Pathan stated:
“Australians jo hain woh doglepan ki had paar kar rahe hain. Uska reason yeh hai ki aap ek baar bande ko raja bana rahe ho, uske baad woh aggression dikhaata hai. Humne kisi ne bhi woh cheez ko support kiya nahin, hume yehi baat boli hai jo referee hai apna kaam karega, jo law bana hai usko follow karna hai. Lekin uske baad aap usko joker bula rahe ho. Raja ke baad joker. Matlab aap usko sell karna chahte hain, aapko aur zyaada cricket ko famous karna hai, lekin kis cheez pe? Aap Virat Kohli ka kandha use kar rahe ho, uske upar chadhne ki koshish kar rahe ho. Unki jo market value hai uska fayda uthake chit bhi meri aur pat bhi meri kar rahe ho, yeh bilkul bhi hum accept nahin karenge.”
(Australians are crossing the limit of duplicity. You are making a player a king and he shows aggression on the field. We didn’t support his actions and believe match referee will do their work and the law should apply. And then you are calling him joker, after calling him king. You want to sell him, make your cricket famous but how? You want to use Kohli’s market value and demean him? We will not accept this)
Virat Kohli fails to convert his start on day two at MCG
Kohli, meanwhile, could not convert his start to a big score that India needed on day two of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. The 36-year-old had been disciplined enough to leave balls outside the off-stump but edged one off Scott Boland late in the day to depart for 36 off 86 deliveries.
Australia had a field day at MCG as they amassed 474, headlined by Steve Smith’s 140 and half-centuries from Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne. With India at 164-5, they are still 310 runs away from getting to Australia’s total.
