‘Mintgate’ row: Kohli dismisses ball-tampering claims
Kohli said the allegations, aired by media, were intended to take the focus off India´s Test series with England
November 25, 2016
MOHALI: India skipper Virat Kohli dismissed ball-tampering claims on Friday after footage showed him sucking a mint and shining the ball -- following a similar case involving South Africa´s captain.
Kohli said the allegations, aired by media, were intended to take the focus off India´s Test series with England, where the hosts are 1-0 up after two matches.
Ball-tampering has been a hot issue this week after Faf du Plessis strongly disputed his conviction in the ´Mintgate´ row during South Africa´s Test series in Australia.
"It´s just that some people are trying to take the focus away from the series and good luck to them," said Kohli, in his first response to the ball-tampering claims.
"We are just focused on what we have to do. It happened in Australia when South Africa won the series. I´m surprised the issue, of what I´ve been told, came up in Rajkot but there was no mention of it until the game was over in Vizag.
"To me a newspaper article doesn´t matter over the decision of ICC. We as cricketers respect that only."
The pictures of Kohli were from the first Test in Rajkot, meaning they fell outside the five-day window for the International Cricket Council to take action.
Du Plessis on Friday said he was appealing his conviction for ball-tampering, an announcement which drew immediate criticism by the world body.
The South African argues that shining the ball cannot be construed as ball-tampering, and that the benefits of sweetened saliva are unclear.
Previous ball-tampering cases have involved the use of dirt, fingernails and bottle-tops to rough up the ball and alter its flight.
Du Plessis has won sympathy from several players including Australia captain Steve Smith and England´s Chris Woakes, who said it was a "grey area" as players commonly have sweets and sweetened drinks on the field.
"I think (Chris) Woakes summed up quite nicely yesterday actually. It is a bit of a grey area at the moment," England captain Alastair Cook said on Friday.
"I actually haven´t quite studied the facts closely in terms of whether taking the sweet straight to the ball kind of with the saliva, or was he just having a lolly in his mouth."
He added: "I think the players now after the last 10 days are just looking to the ICC to clarify what is acceptable what is not acceptable."
Cook also played a straight bat when asked whether sweetened saliva is better for shining the ball, saying he doesn´t know "whether it helps or not".
