India team management bans Twitter for players

Team management instructs players to stop using Twitter and Facebook to interact/voice opinions

After back-to-back defeats to Australia in the Sydney and Melbourne Test matches, the Indian team management Down Under has instructed players not to use social networking sites to voice their opinions. This comes in the wake of Virat Kohli justifying his middle finger gesture to the Sydney Cricket Ground fans, who reportedly heckled him on Day Two of the second Test last week. "I agree cricketers don't have to retaliate.



What can i say: Virat Kohli gestures to the crowd during Day Two of
the second Test on January 4. Pic/Getty Images

What when the crowd says the worst things about your mother and sister. The worst I've heard," Kohli said on his Twitter account after the incident. The young Delhi batsman was fined 50% of his match fee by International Cricket Council match referee Ranjan Madugalle for his finger gesture.

According to the ICC, Kohli was charged with a Level 2 offence under article 2.2.8 of the code which relates to "Using language or gesture(s) that is seriously obscene, seriously offensive or of a seriously insulting nature to another Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other third person during an International Match".

However, Kohli's tweet attracted other comments including England batting star Kevin Pietersen, who tweeted: "Ha ha ha ha ha!!! Welcome to Australia buddy!!" Kohli replied: "Never heard crap like that. EVER". It is learnt that the team management was wary that responses to tweets could cause a storm and hence instructed to stay away from their keypads.

A source said yesterday that the team management don't want players to pay any attention to any comments. Virat's behaviour and reaction has not been well accepted within the team and the management is hell bent on avoiding any controversy whatsoever on this tour. It can be recalled that the 2007-08 tour of Australia was marred by controversy.