17 June,2019 04:11 PM IST | | mid-day online desk
Steve Smith
Steve Smith has appreciated Virat Kohli's "lovely gesture" after the Indian skipper asked fans to stop jeering the former Australian skipper during their World Cup encounter on June 9.
Steve Smith returned to playing for Australia after serving a one year ban for ball-tampering. The incident had occurred in the Test series between South Africa and Australia in March 2018.
Steve Smith, while fielding on the boundary line during India vs Australia game in the World Cup 2019, was continuously booed and jeered by the Indian fans sitting behind the player.
After the over, Virat Kohli walked towards the fans and asked them to stop jeering the Australian batsman and applaud instead. That gesture won a lot of hearts online.
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"It was a lovely gesture by Virat," Smith told reporters after Australia's victory to Sri Lanka.
Smith said the frequent booing and heckling by the English crowd doesn't affect him but appreciated Kohli's gesture nonetheless.
"It doesn't really bother me what the crowds do to be perfectly honest. I am just blocking it all out but it was a lovely gesture from him," Smith said.
Kohli and Smith have had their run-ins in the past including the infamous 'Brain fade' controversy during a 2017 Test match in Bengaluru, where Smith was seen seeking help for a referral from the dressing room.
But during their World Cup clash, the two players were seen shaking hands after the former gestured the fans to show some restraint.
"I just felt for him, and I told him, 'I'm sorry on behalf of the crowd because I have seen that happen in a few earlier games as well'. In my opinion, that's not acceptable," Kohli had said after the match.
"Just because there are so many Indian fans here, I just didn't want them to set a bad example, to be honest because he didn't do anything to be booed in my opinion. He's just playing cricket," Kohli said.
With inputs from PTI
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