Former Australian cricketer and current head coach of Indian Premier League team Gujarat Lions Brad Hodge apologised on Thursday for his earlier comments where he implied that Indian captain Virat Kohli had sat out the fourth India-Australia Test only to play the IPL.
“My intention was never to harm, criticize or be derogatory toward anyone,” said Hodge in a statement on Twitter. “They were intended to be light-hearted comments with the utmost respect to the Indian Premier League which I have thoroughly enjoyed through the years.”
Hodge added, “I am deeply apologetic to the country which has brought me so much joy and its inspirational leader in Virat Kohli, to whom I mean no ill-intention and respect highly as a professional.”
The former Australian batsman’s comments come in the wake of much acrimony and rancour between the two teams after India had won the Test series in Dharamsala 2-1. On Sunday, Hodge had added to the bad blood by implying that the Indian captain had sat out the last Test in Dharamsala to play the IPL.
“You would think that your captain would get out there and get amongst the fight and get in there. You’d hope as a sportsman that he’s seriously injured,” Hodge had said then.
Kohli had missed the match because of a shoulder injury he had sustained in the third Test in Ranchi. Despite Steve Smith offering an apology for letting his “emotions slip” after the series had concluded, Kohli had responded by saying that he will not be considering Australian players as his friends “ever again”. The Indian captain, though, clarified on Thursday that his statement was blown out of proportion and he had only referred to a couple of Australian players and not the whole team.
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