'We want to give them a send-off': Cricket Australia on Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma possibly playing their final series in Australia

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma (AFP Photo)

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

‘RACISM? ZERO TOLERANCE’

MLC: Venky Harinarayan on growing cricket in the USA, AI-driven teams and the Olympic boost

NEW DELHI: Already retired from T20Is following India’s T20 World Cup triumph, and having stepped away from Test cricket ahead of the five-match series in England, the two stalwarts — Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma — will be seen in action when India tour Australia for a three-match ODI series starting in October. Along with the ODIs, India will also play five T20Is during the tour.Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg said Australia is geared up for a massive summer of cricket, featuring both the Indian men's and women's teams.He also shared his excitement about the limited-overs series in October-November, which could potentially be the last time Virat and Rohit don the ODI jersey."It's a massive summer of cricket, highlighted by both the Indian women's and men's teams. Also, the Ashes is here. And for the first time in nearly two decades, Australian cricket will be playing international matches in every single capital city and territory across the entire country — which, you know, is amazing when you think about the logistical exercise that goes with that," Greenberg told reporters."But to answer the question — look, there's a lot of work going into bespoke marketing plans for every game in every city.Some of those will be nuanced to local markets — whether we're playing, you know, in Far North Queensland when South Africa are here, or in our big cities when both India’s men's and women's teams are visiting. So, a lot of work is going into that.""I think we saw real momentum last year on the back of the BGT series — you know, some record-breaking ticket sales. And I anticipate that we’ll see a number of sellouts across the summer, really starting in August and going through until March. This might be a summer like we’ve never seen before, just in terms of the amount of content. And if you think about the quality of the players coming, particularly from India — this might be the last time we get to see Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma play in our country. If that’s the case — who knows, it might not be — but if it is, we want to make sure we give them a great send-off and acknowledge the incredible contribution they've made to international cricket," Greenberg added.Greenberg also addressed past racism incidents during India’s previous tours to Australia.During the Sydney Test in 2021, Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj faced racial abuse from sections of the crowd. Both Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah were targeted, prompting the Indian team management to lodge an official complaint with match referee David Boon."Well, my message is a simple one: everyone should feel welcome and safe in any format of our game here in this country. If there are any instances of inappropriate behavior, we will have zero tolerance for it. People who behave poorly in those areas will be dealt with accordingly," Greenberg said."As I’ve said, I want our Indian fans — in fact, all fans, whether they’re English fans coming for the Ashes or Indian fans arriving for the Border-Gavaskar series — to feel welcome, to be able to support their teams, but never to be abused. Anyone engaging in abusive behavior will be removed from our stadiums. We’ll also continue our efforts in educating fans and fostering a respectful environment."We’re aware that, from time to time, people may do the wrong thing — but we will not excuse that behavior. Those individuals will be removed because attending a match should be considered a privilege, not a right. If you don’t behave in the way we expect, you won’t be welcomed. We want to ensure that Indian players and fans — and fans from all countries — feel very welcome and safe at every one of our venues," he added.

Click here to read article