Virat couldn’t laugh it off, gets a stern message from BCCI

Late in the afternoon today, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja sat in the open space outside the Indian dressing room. Kohli had his mobile phone in his hands and the loud sounds emanating from it suggested that he was playing a competitive game on it. They smiled and laughed and seemed to joke with each other a lot.

Did they overdo the cheer and the grins? Is it possible that some of this laughter and gaiety was forced? That's highly likely, in the light of what emerged later in the day, when an Indian cricket board (BCCI) press release confirmed Kohli's offence against an Indian sports journalist on Tuesday. Kohli, who had verbally attacked a journalist with the filthiest language possible, has been warned by the Indian cricket board (BCCI).

After Kohli's attack on the journalist, it later came to light that it was a case of mistaken identity, and that Kohli thought that he was raining abuse on the sports editor of a national newspaper. Apparently, Kohli was angry with a news report published in this newspaper about the BCCI's decision to allow the wives and girlfriends (WAGs) of the players to travel with the players last year in England.

The BCCI has told Kohli to “maintain the dignity of the Indian team at all times, and avoid any such behaviour in the future”. “The BCCI has been in touch with the Indian team management on this issue, and has advised that this kind of incident should not be repeated,” Anurag Thakur, the BCCI's newly-elected secretary, said in an official statement.

Thakur's statement did not name Kohli; however, when India's media manager, Dr Redhills Baba, sent the same mail to the press today, the subject line was “Virat”

Baba's denial

Yesterday, Dr Baba had, in his trademark imprecise and obtuse style, had issued this statement regarding the incident: “There was a misunderstanding and no abusive language was used, Virat has spoken to the concerned gentlemen immediately and matter ends...”

Today's statement by the BCCI has confirmed that Dr Baba had either been unaware of the facts of the matter, or had not been completely honest in his account and assessment of the incident. Cynics might say that dishonesty is part of the role of Dr Baba as the media manager; but to describe this horrible incident as a “misunderstanding” is both dishonest and unethical. The affected reporter had lodged a complaint with the ICC yesterday, but today the newspaper said it would not take the matter any further, in the “interests of India's World Cup campaign”.

Criticism

Kohli's conduct has come in for criticism not only from the media but from former players as well. VVS Laxman, the former Indian middle-order star, said: “It is not right on Virat's part, irrespective of what has happened. Whether it is right or wrong from the journalist's point of view, it is important to do that in closed doors, but not in the public domain or in public space. He has to remember that he is a role model and people will be watching him, will be following him, and will be wanting to emulate him.”