Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers ended the suspense surrounding Virat Kohli’s absence on Sunday when revealed on his YouTube channel that the India star is with his family because he and wife Anushka Sharma are expecting their second child.
But, five days later, on Friday, de Villiers made a striking U-turn on his statement and admitted his information was incorrect and acknowledging that he ‘made a big mistake.’
“Family comes first and then Cricket. I made a terrible mistake on my YouTube channel. That information was wrong and not true at all. Virat has every right to take a break from national duties due to family reasons. I think whatever’s best for Virat’s family, comes first. No one knows what’s happening there, all I can do is wish him well. Whatever the reason for his break, I hope he can come back stronger, better, and fresh from this,” de Villiers told Dainik Bhaskar.
The ex-Proteas player corrected the sidelines of the SA20, where he was part of various media interactions.
What Dale Steyn said:
With all the mysteries revolving around Kohli’s absence from Test matches against England, another ex-Proteas pacer Dale Steyn has backed and respected the star India cricketer’s decision to spend time with family over playing cricket.
Steyn stood right next to Kohli, stating everything else, including cricket, takes a backseat when it comes to family.
“Family is your most important priority. Sorry, that’s it. That’s the end of the story right there. I’ve got three dogs and when one of them got sick, I was out of the IPL. I was jumping on the plane out of there to come back and see my dog. So that’s my family. If Virat Kohli has decided to sit back home because he wants to be with his wife, if he’s going to have his second child, I don’t see any problem with that. He’s been a servant of India for many years. He’s won a World Cup; he’s captained with success. I don’t know what more a man can do to prove himself in the cricketing world,” Steyn, bowling coach of Sunrisers Eastern Cape, said ahead of the team’s SA20 Season 2 final against the Durban Super Giants, told Hindustan Times.
He added, “I think at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter about cricket. What matters is why you’re playing and who helped you get there. The people behind you or behind the scenes, are the ones the public doesn’t see. Your partner, your mother, your wife, your sister… those are the people that are constantly picking you up and if it means that their health is in jeopardy or something is wrong with them, you go to them and that’s the most important thing.”
“For those questioning Kohli’s decisions and hurling baseless allegations under the guise of ‘national duty’ – and no true Viratian claiming to be his fan would go to such lengths – the message cannot be more crystal clear. It’s none of your business. If cricket is being introduced at the Olympics because of Kohli, that’s a national duty he has served. If the ICC Cricketer of the Decade has belonged to Kohli, that’s a national duty he has served. If at 30, Kohli was already called a legend, that… is a national duty. And if because of him, more youngsters are finding their calling in cricket around the world, that… is national duty,” pointed out Steyn, adding, “Kohli is India’s icon, but that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to dissect his life.”
What BCCI said:
Amid the reports that India’s star batter Virat Kohli may skip the third and fourth Tests against England at Rajkot and Ranchi, the BCCI officials and selectors have not lost hope.
The BCCI officials and selectors are set to meet on Thursday to finalize the squad, and said Kohli hasn’t yet informed anything to the board or the team management, reported Indian Express.
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Published: 09 Feb 2024, 06:49 PM IST