The shoulder collision incident between veteran India batter Virat Kohli and Australia debutant Sam Konstas on day one of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) could come under the lens of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The incident happened after the 10th over ended when Kohli had the ball in hand and appeared to have changed his walking path to be in a shoulder collision with Konstas, who did not take kindly to it, and exchanged a few words with him. Konstas’ opening partner Usman Khawaja and on-field umpire Michael Gough came up quickly to calm down the situation immediately.
Seeing the Kohli-Konstas shoulder collision left former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believing Kohli could be in trouble. “Virat walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind whatsoever. I have no doubt that the umpires and the referee will have a good look at that.”
“Fielders should be nowhere near the batsman at that stage. Every fieldsman on the ground knows where the batsmen will congregate and get together. It looked to me that Konstas looked up really late, wouldn’t even know anyone is in front of him. That man on-screen there (Kohli) might have a few questions to answer,” he said on Channel Seven.
Article 2.12 of the ICC code of conduct states, “Any form of inappropriate physical contact is prohibited in cricket. Without limitation, players will breach this regulation if they deliberately, recklessly and/or negligently walk or run into or shoulder another Player or Umpire.
“When assessing the seriousness of the breach, the following factors (without limitation) shall be taken into account: (i) the context of the particular situation, including, without limitation, whether the contact was deliberate (i.e. intentional), reckless, negligent, and/or avoidable; (ii) the force of the contact; (iii) any resulting injury to the person with whom contact was made; and (iv) the person with whom contact was made.”
Quizzed about the collision with Kohli during drinks break, Konstas said to broadcasters Fox Sports, “Whatever (happens) on the field stays on the field, but I love competing — and it doesn’t get any better for a debut at this packed stadium.”
If match referee Andy Pycroft thinks it’s a level two offence against either of the players involved, then that would mean him handing out three or four demerit points. A level one offence would mean a match fee fine or a reprimand.
Simon Taufel, the five-time ICC Umpire of the Year award winner, said on Channel Seven that the match officials will look into the ICC code of conduct before taking any likely.
“It shows Virat Kohli actually changing his line to get into the personal space of Sam Konstas. There’s a clause with the ICC code of conduct that talks about inappropriate physical contact. That’s the clause that the umpires and the referee will be looking at the close of play today to see whether or not Virat’s actions went into that category.
“We don’t want to see any physical contact during the game. It tends to get out-of-control. A lot of adrenaline flowing. Sam Konstas holding his ground. Virat Kohli did the same thing. It’s something out of nothing. We don’t want to see it continue.
“I tend to think they’ll let that one go. That’s my view at this stage. Let the players say what they want to say. Get a few things off their chest. At times if it goes further, they’ll probably let that one slide.”
Alyssa Healy, the Australia women’s captain who is also left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc’s wife, was displeased with Kohli targeting the teenaged Konstas, who went on to make a blistering 60.
“I think it’s more disappointing than anything else that your experienced player, one of your best players in the country, has quite visibly made a beeline for the youngest player in the opposition. It doesn’t really set the greatest of tones for your side but if that’s the way the Indian team want to approach it then so be it, but it didn’t rattle Konstas one bit,” she said on Fox Sports.
