Indian captain, Virat Kohli, has been awarded the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for his gesture to urge the audience to clap for Steven Smith in the World Cup.
The crowd was booing Smith, who made his comeback after Newlands ball-tampering scandal, at the Oval in London when Kohli angrily suggested the fans to clap instead of ridiculing him.
Who remembers this gesture from Virat Kohli during #CWC19?
The Indian captain is the winner of the 2019 Spirit of Cricket Award 🙌 #ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/Z4rVSH8X7x
— ICC (@ICC) January 15, 2020
While it was a brilliant gesture by Kohli, it sure wasn’t ahead of Kane Williamson’s calmness at the end of Cricket World Cup 2019, which they lost on boundary count. Later it was discovered that an umpiring error put Ben Stokes on strike which changed the outcome of the game.
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When it comes to the spirit of cricket, New Zealanders are never behind and the same was the case when the match officials announced England as the champions after no clear winner was picked in the regular 50 overs and then the Super Over.
Twitterati is up in arms against the cricket’s governing body for choosing Kohli, who himself was surprised at the decision, for the award over Williamson.
Here’s how they are responding:
How could this not go to Williamson and the Kiwis after the World Cup final? https://t.co/PGSDGzau5z
— Greg Baum (@GregBaum) January 15, 2020
People are terming the decision as ‘pathetic’.
That is a VERY low bar for spirit of cricket… next year: kohli shakes hand after match he wins with other captain and gets award…
— Neil Clarke (@NeilClarke1975) January 15, 2020
Kane deserved it more.
That should've gone to Kane instead of Kohli.
— Kunal 🏏 (@kunal_jt) January 15, 2020
A decision indeed.
Rest of the awards disappointingly sane tbh, so it's lucky really that the spirit of cricket award is such a spectacular nonsense. Thanks, ICC!
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) January 15, 2020
Nah!
https://twitter.com/MrDanny3/status/1217390349955534848
Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
So Virat Kohli has been given the 'Spirit of Cricket' award by ICC. High time the Nobel Committee chooses Donald Trump for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
— Samanway Banerjee (@qriosam) January 15, 2020
Joke of the decade.
https://twitter.com/punterspull/status/1217386254653743105
You thought right.
https://twitter.com/pranjal_08/status/1217385900725784576
Williamson personifies that spirit.
https://twitter.com/Amermalik12/status/1217351518304768000
Do you think it should have been awarded to Kane Williamson instead of Virat Kohli? Let us know in the comments section.
ICC is heavily politicized. Shame what the world comes to.