India and Kolkata Knight Riders batsman and commentator Dinesh Karthik has apologised for his controversial comments during the second One-Day International between England and Sri Lanka, saying he ‘got it all wrong’. During the game, Karthik came up with a controversial comment involving cricket bats.
“Batsmen and not liking bats, they go hand in hand. Most of the batters don’t seem to like their bats. They either like another person’s bat. Bats are like a neighbour’s wife. They always feel better.”
Karthik’s comments were slammed as sexist and inappropriate. The keeper-batsman has now apologised.
“I want to apologies for what happened last game. It’s not really what I intended. I just got it all wrong. I apologise to everybody. It’s definitely not the right thing to say,” Karthik said on-air during the third ODI on Sunday.
“I got a lot of stick from my wife and my mum for saying that. I am really sorry that it shouldn’t happen again,” he added.
The controversy aside, Karthik, a relatively new commentator, has been lauded for his quick adaptation to the new role. Plenty of commentators and followers on social media have praised him for his astute analysis.
Prior to his role as commentator during the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand, Karthik had spoken to Cricketnext about why he chose commentary even while active in his playing career.
“If you see foreign countries, especially football and NBA, current players come and talk about the sport when they are injured or when their team is not playing. The perception in India is that if you go to be an expert commentator, their playing career is finished. You take football, current players sit and talk in the studio, talk about other teams and give their expert opinions. In NBA and tennis, this is a norm. Why should it be any different in cricket?”
