In picture: Virat Kohli, Photo credit: Reuters.
Virat Kohli has called for consistency while awarding demerit points to players on breach of ICC Code of Conduct though the Indian captain didn’t in any way disagree with match referee Richie Richardson’s verdict of handing Ravindra Jadeja a one-Test suspension because of which the left-arm spinner will miss India’s third Test here against Sri Lanka.
Jadeja was slapped with three demerit points and fined 50 percent of his match fee after his “dangerous-in-manner” throw at Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne that narrowly missed the batsman on the third day of the second Test. This incident, coupled with his censure during the match against New Zealand in Indore last October, took Jadeja’s demerit points to four which automatically attract suspension from a Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whichever is first.
India didn’t challenge Richardson’s verdict and to that extent it’s clear that they also agreed with match referee’s take on the incident. The new Code of Conduct came into being in September 2016 and Kohli felt it was time players understood them.
“Firstly we need to be very clear on what are the things that fall into it and what are the things that a player needs to keep in his mind while being on the field,” he began. “A lot of things happen on the field which in the thick of things or heat of the moment you end up doing but you don’t know what’s going to cause you one or two or three (demerit) points. So I think the intent counts nowadays and that’s something that players need to keep in mind. It might be a very small thing but if the intent is to do something bad then obviously that is something that counts against the player,” he pointed out.
While he had no issues with the punishment handed out to Jadeja, Kohli emphasised on the need for consistency.
“I think players have to be much more aware going ahead and just hoping that the guidelines are very similar from now on. Because it shouldn’t vary according to how the situation is looked at. So if it is consistent then I think it is going to be good going ahead because players will obviously be more aware of how they need to conduct themselves on the field and it will only help the game get better.”