Virat Kohli has revealed his ‘surprise’ at winning the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award after telling India fans to stop booing Australia batsman Steve Smith during the World Cup.
Former Australia captain Smith received a frosty reception upon his return to international cricket following a one-year suspension for ball-tampering.
But during India’s World Cup group match against Australia at The Oval, Kohli urged the heavily pro-Indian crowd to support Smith when he went to field on the boundary rope and condoned booing.
A lovely moment in a special year of cricket.@imVkohli discusses the importance of playing cricket in the right way ? #ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/u3x44GFqQQ
— ICC (@ICC) January 15, 2020
Accepting the award, Kohli said: ‘I’m surprised that I have got it, after many years of being under the scanner for the wrong things.
‘It is part of camaraderie that sportsmen must have with each other. That moment was purely understanding an individual’s situation.
‘I don’t think a guy who is coming out of a situation like that needs to be taken advantage of. You can sledge, can have have banter on the field, you say things to the opposition in wanting to beat them.
‘But booing someone is not in the spirit of any sport, I don’t endorse it.
‘Also, that should not be a representation of our fans and what we stand as a cricketing nation, a sporting nation. We need to all take responsibility towards that.
‘Intimidate the opposition, definitely try and have an upper hand but in a matter that is not targeting someone emotionally. That is not acceptable at any level and people should be wary of that.’
India captain Kohli, 31, was named captain of both the ICC Test and ODI Teams of the Year but missed out on any individual awards.
