Why Fox Sports' description of Kohli as the "bat-wielding Trump" is foolish

Why Fox Sports' description of Kohli as the "bat-wielding Trump" is foolish

no photo

From accusing of Virat Kohli throwing a bottle at an Australian official to labeling him "villain of the week", the Australian media seem to be obsessed with the Indian captain. Fox Sports have now gone a step further comparing Virat Kohli to the President of the United States, Donald Trump.

Fox America were a big reason for Donald Trump ascending to power and they see him as the messiah who will save the "keepers of democracy". However, Fox Sports Australia have published a report, wherein they have accused Virat Kohli of exhibiting "Donald Trump-like contempt for the truth" and "making a mockery of the game."

"The Indian captain is a law unto himself with no one – not even the ICC or his own board – holding him accountable for his continual perpetuation of fake news. It’s understood representatives from host broadcaster Star Sports came to Ranchi on Monday to apologise to Steve Smith for their part in spreading farcical claims that the Australian captain had mocked Kohli’s shoulder injury during the third Test – the allegation being he had grabbed his own shoulder as a means of taunting his counterpart," reads the article.

This is, of course, a reference to the social media outrage of Smith mocking the injured Virat Kohli by tapping his shoulder, which was later proven to be incorrect. Star Sports India along with a select few (including us), apologized for releasing the news and corrected the error by the end of the Day with the former going as far as, apologizing in person to the Australian captain. While that was a generous but necessary courtesy that was offered, Fox, now want Virat Kohli to apologize for the incident, was well. Having not been on the field - and being a hundred yards away, with nothing to with the episode that just occurred, one would struggle to find a reason that the Indian captain should apologize for.

Fox Sports goes on to write, "Kohli was also responsible for fanning the flames by attacking Smith on-field for daring to mock him and proceeding to celebrate David Warner’s wicket late on day four by ferociously parading past the Australian dressing room clasping his shoulder. Surprise, surprise, though, the man who last week launched a scandalous attack on Smith and the Australians where he accused them of being systematic cheats, refused to apologize or provide any concrete evidence in his post-match press conference. This, despite the relative diplomacy shown by his superiors at the BCCI."

While they mentioned how Smith was completely innocent of mocking Kohli, they conveniently chose to ignore the fact the Maxwell had not been so unimpeachable. However, sledging can really add something to the slow pace of Test cricket and the Indian camp refused to criticize the Australians stating that they would respond on the field. Vijay said at the end of the third day's play that the Indian players had taken Maxwell's gesture in a sporting way and hoped that Australia would offer them the same courtesy. So, Fox should look at the larger picture before pointing a finger at India. As far as Kohli implying Smith to be a cheat is concerned, Smith himself accepted that he suffered a now famous "brain-fade" moment and a couple of weeks later everyone, apart from Fox, seemed to have moved on from it.

But they weren't done, yet, writing, "Just like President Trump, Kohli decided to blame the media as a means of trying to hide the egg smeared right across his face."

"Special players are allowed to have bad series, but Kohli’s great crime is that he’s proven that the spirit of cricket is officially dead. Test captains, under the rules of the game, are supposed to be the flagbearers for upholding the spirit of the game, yet the ICC has allowed the Indian captain to destroy one of the foundations on which the game has been played for more than a century. The ICC won’t fine him. and neither will the BCCI, who through their broadcaster apologized to Smith, can get their skipper to tow the party line. Even when the BCCI called a ceasefire with Cricket Australia last week, Kohli still refused to back down from his cheating accusations. Like former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga, Kohli relies on a flagrant disrespect of his opponents and the game to fuel himself and his team. Soft cricketing administrators have given rise to a bat-wielding Trump," Fox concluded.

Even when the BCCI called a ceasefire with Cricket Australia last week, Kohli still refused to back down from his cheating accusations. Like former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga, Kohli relies on a flagrant disrespect of his opponents and the game to fuel himself and his team. Soft cricketing administrators have given rise to a bat-wielding Trump," Fox concluded.

In this rant, it is very difficult to understand what Fox wants ICC to charge Kohli with. Should they charge him for stopping a player seeking advice from the dressing room or for replying in kind to a player who mocked him for suffering an injury? What Fox hope to achieve from such reports escapes us and only themselves would be the best people to answer that question. Most of what they have said in the article is either completely false or right on the border - Remind you of anyone?

Get updates! Follow us on

Open all