Tainted Australian batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner got support from India captain Virat Kohli in regard to the public backlash the duo received following the ball tampering issue that took place in the beginning of the year. Kohli sympathised with them for the criticism from all corners and that he heimself never wanted to go through such an ordeal.
In an interview with former Australian stumper Adam Gilchrist for Fox Cricket, the Indian captain said, “Well, it was sad to see. As big a thing as it became, you never want to see anyone go through that because I have known David and I have known Steve as well.”
“Apart all the competitiveness on the field and all the battles that you have, you never want to see such a magnitude happen to two sportsmen and what happened after was, I felt, very bad. I felt like that the things happened after shouldn’t have happened,” Kohli added.
Kohli pained
According to Kohli, he was also affected by the entire unfolding of the events. “The things that hit me the hardest was the way they were received at the airports and the way they were escorted out. Those things to me felt like this is very, very hectic. It is not my place to comment on the decisions but to treat people like that for me it was unpleasant to see. I would never want to experience that as a cricketer,” Kohli concluded.
Both Smith and Warner are serving a year-long suspensions after they were found guilty of ball-tampering that took place against South Africa in Cape Town Test in January . Apart from Smith and Warner, the governing body of Australian cricket, Cricket Australia, also handed nine-month ban to youngster Cameron Bancroft for the same offence.
Both Smith and Warner were treated harshly even since following their admission of the offence.
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