Virat Kohli talks about match-fixing in cricket

Says you can't control an individual

 

 

New Delhi: India's Test captain Virat Kohli is of the opinion that as much as you put systems in place to curb match-fixing it will always depend on an individual player as to what kind of choices he makes.

Asked about whether enough is being done by cricketing authorities to curb the menace of fixing Kohli told CNN News18: "I think authorities are doing as much as they can to keep the sport clean. You obviously cannot go into someone's room and tell them not to speak to someone in certain way.

They can have protocols and they can have rules being set up and that's how much you can do. Eventually it's upto individual how he wants to go about his decisions. If individuals chooses to do something wrong, doesn't matter how much how much you control them."

On his part, Kohli said that he has been "fortunate" to have never encountered anything of that sort and would like it to remain like that for the rest of his life.

"No, I have never encountered anything like that anything in my life fortunately. I love the sport too much. For me, to even explain myself for something that might not even lead to anything. As a cricketer, you feel sad from inside to encounter those situations. Fortunately, I haven't and god willingly, I won't in future also."

Asked about what will be his legacy in Indian cricket, Kohli said: "When I finish, if I can inspire people to take up the sport. If I can inspire children to say that we want to play sport because we want to be like him, that would make me feel like I have achieved something." 

Currently, India's No 1 batsman, Kohli's aggression has been a much talked about topic and the Delhi lad feels that as long as the aggression is expressed in a positive manner, sportspersons should have that trait in them. 

"This (aggression) is what helps me be at top of of my game. I would not change or trade that for anything else in the world. Every sportsperson should have that aggresison or killer instinct -- in a very good way and not in an arrogant way."

Kohli also feels that at times, in India, a cricketer is often judged by his off-the-field life rather than his on-field achievements, which he does not support.

"As a sporting nation, there is lack of patience in terms of judging someone too quickly. When I came into the team, I had tatoos, dress up in a certain way, I used to do things I felt were fine but may be not in perfect mould of a stereotype Test cricketer. When I now see any youngster being judged early for being a bit more flamboyant, I correct them that there is nothing wrong.

"Please judge him on what he doing on field, not judge him not in his own life or how he is as a person," said the 27-year-old.

With 36 international hundreds to his credit (25 in ODIs and 11 in Tests), Kohli has been shattering records but for him, it is his contribution in team's victory that gives him the sense of pleasure.

"I never connect to those things (records) too much. I have never played for that but if in process of playing well wanting to win for my team, I end up crossing a milestone or breaking a record, I have been able to do it but it's not driving me. I do not challenge myself to break records. I would rather focus on real things. The feeling a team gets to win a game, I want to be the guy to help the team achieving that."