Dale Steyn throws weight behind Virat Kohli for skipping England Tests, says ‘family is priority’
'Family is priority' - Dale Steyn on Virat Kohli skipping England Tests
India batting great Virat Kohli remained unavailable for the first two England Tests, citing personal reasons for his absence. However, the latest reports suggest that the former India captain might miss the complete series for reasons only known to people within the board and dressing room. Dale Steyn, once Kohli's on-field foe and former IPL teammate, has thrownhis weight behind Kohli for prioritising family over cricket.
Considering neither Kohli nor the BCCI has laid out any explanation as to why he is missing the England Tests, the Indian fans, going by what Kohli’s former IPL mate and good friend AB de Villiers revealed in his YouTube live lately, saying he (Kohli) and Anushka Sharma are expecting their second child, are anticipating the exact reason for his unavailability.
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Speaking on the same, on the sidelines of SA20 in South Africa, Steyn said,
"I think family is your most important priority. I'm sorry, like, that's it, you know. That's the end of the story. Like right there.”
"I've got three dogs, and if one dog got sick, and I was in the IPL, I'm jumping on the first plane out of there to come back to see my dog,” Steyn said, adding he would have done the same had he been in Virat Kohli’s place.
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‘People don’t understand...’
With Kohli being a monumental figure in Indian cricket, the fans expect him to remain available for at least top series and deliver on each occasion. Now, since Kohli is unavailable for the five Tests against England, a section of fans expressed their displeasure on social media over his absence.
Replying to all those negative remarks against one of cricket’s greatest batters, Steyn said for everyone, family and close friends should be the priority as they are the ones that keep the person motivated and going.
"I think that the people behind you; the people behind the scenes, are what the public don't see. So your wife, your partner, your mother, your mom, your brother, your sister, your father, your cousin, it doesn't really matter; those people are the ones constantly picking you up and keeping you at where you are," said Steyn.
"And if it means that the house is in jeopardy or something is wrong with them or something like that, then you go to them; that's the most important thing,” he added.
Meanwhile, after the first two Tests, the scoreline reads 1-1. While England won the curtain-raiser in Hyderabad, India won the second Test in Vizag. The third Test of the series will begin on February 15 in Rajkot.
