Updated: December 23, 2020 4:22:28 pm
Virat Kohli (74 and 4) was India’s top scorer in the first round. (BCCI)
Virat Kohli’s decision to leave the Australian tour after the first test to be present for the birth of his first child had been praised by Steve Smith of Australia, but not everyone approved of the move. Former Indian cricketer Dilip Doshi said Kohli is “deserting from a sinking ship” and that he himself would not have gone because “national duty” should come before anything else.
“For me, being the captain of India would be the most important thing on my mind. It is a sinking ship. This is the time when you need your captain the most. If you leave right now, you are leaving your attachment aside with many unanswered questions. I just hope and pray that the team shows enough character to come out of this, ”Doshi said in a Facebook Live session on Sportskeeda.
The left-arm player, a 33-test, 15-ODI veteran for India, said it is not possible for cricket tables to have rules that prevent such permits, but that it is up to each individual to decide on their course of action. Doshi said that he himself would never have left the tour had he faced such a decision.
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“I know this is a modern phenomenon where people believe that they should be next to their family and spouses when they give birth. But when you’re on a national duty … If I had put myself in his place, I wouldn’t have gone. For me, national duty comes before everything else, ”he said.
“This is a highly individual and institutional approach. Legally, you can’t stop someone from doing that. The cricket board cannot have a rule saying that players cannot go and side with their spouses for such an occasion. Personally, I would not have gone, “he added.
Australian hitter Steve Smith had recently said: “I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, the credit goes to him for being able to stand up and say he wants to go home and be with his wife. It’s a milestone that he certainly wouldn’t want to miss and I’m sure there would have been a lot of pressure on him to stay, but the credit is that he made the decision. “
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