Kohli fined 20% of his match fee and given 1 point for Konstas incident

Virat Kohli has been fined 20% of his match fee and awarded a deerit point for hitting Sam Konstas on the shoulder at the MCG on Thursday morning.

“Kohli was found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to ‘improper physical contact with a player, player support personnel, umpire, match referee or any other person (including a spectator during an international match),'” the ICC said in a media release.

Cricket is not a contact sport and there are body nudging rules in the game. Relevant here is another set of rules in the ICC’s Code of Conduct (CoC). Article 2.12 of the CoC reads: “Any form of inappropriate physical contact is prohibited in cricket. Without limitation, players will be in breach of this rule if they knowingly, recklessly and/or negligently walk or run into or shoulder another player or umpire.

“In assessing the seriousness of the breach, the following factors (without limitation) shall be considered: (i) the context of the particular situation, including, without limitation, whether the contact was knowing (ie, intentional), reckless, negligent, and/or avoidable; (ii) the force of the contact;

The incident took place after the end of the 10th over of Day 1 when Kohli was seen shouldering the debuting Australian opener in front of a 90,000-strong MCG crowd. That led to an exchange between the players with the other opener, Usman Khawaja, trying to cool things down.

Onfield umpires Joel Wilson and Michael Gough, along with third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Shawn Craig, leveled the charge. Kohli admitted the offense and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft, and therefore no formal hearing was required.

Under ICC Code of Conduct rules, when a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and a player is banned. Two suspension points equals a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whichever comes first for the player. The demerit points remain on a player’s disciplinary record for a period of 24 months. This was Kohli’s first offense in a 24-month period.

Kohli’s action sparked immediate outrage and Ricky Ponting called for sanctions against the Indian abuser. “Virat went a full pitch over to the right and prompted that confrontation. No doubt in my mind at all. I have no doubt the umpires and the umpire will have a good look at it. Fielders shouldn’t be anywhere near the batsman on that time.

“Every fielder on the ground knows where the batsmen want to gather and gather. It looked to me that Konstas looked up really late and wouldn’t even know there was anyone in front of him. That man on the screen there (Kohli) might have a few questions to answer,” Ponting was quoted on Channel Seven as saying by Fox.

Even Ravi Shastri, former India coach, disapproved of Kohli’s action, saying it was unnecessary. “There is a line and you don’t want to cross that line,” Shastri said.