Cowan on Kohli: "There was a moment I wanted to pick up the stump and stab him."

[HippoSucks]

“THERE was a moment I wanted to pick up the stump and stab him.”

 

That’s Ed Cowan speaking about his run-in with Virat Kohli.

 

Does Cowan strike you as the sort of person who would want to impale the Indian captain with a stump? I didn’t think so.

 

Cowan is talking on our new podcast — The Stack Report — in a sprawling conversation about his career and cricket in general.

 

We’re marvelling at the recent series in India and I say I’ve enjoyed watching Kohli, in part because of the villain element he brings to cricket.

 

The sport is better when there’s a villain: Stuart Broad, Graeme Smith, Arjuna Ranatunga. It’s a flippant comment and he shifts uneasily in his seat.

 

Has he ever had a run-in with the Indian skipper?

 

Cowan is forthcoming. Maybe too honest. I can see him weigh up whether or not to tell me what he really thinks.

 

“I’m a huge fan of his cricket. Don’t get me wrong he’s a phenomenal cricketer,” says Cowan.

 

“I had a little bit of a run-in that was inappropriate when he toured Australia and the umpire had to intervene.

 

“We forget that English isn’t their first language. It’s very easy to sit back and say as a player they’re barking something at me that is inappropriate when we don’t try and converse with them in Hindi.

 

“There’s always going to be niggles around misinterpretation of what’s said and what isn’t said on the field.

 

“I had a very sick Mum during one of those series and he said something that was inappropriate.

 

“Why I make the point of ‘lost in translation’, he said something that was highly inappropriate. A personal matter that was highly sensitive. Highly inappropriate. But he didn’t realise that he’d overstepped the mark until the umpire came over and said — ‘Virat that’s overstepped the mark’ — and once that was said, he took a step back and apologised.

 

“But, there was a moment I wanted to pick up the stump and stab him.”

 

India — the place and the team — has been at the centre of much of Cowan’s most important career moments. He made his debut against them at the MCG. The last time Australia’s Test side toured the nation, Cowan was front and centre for one of the most tumultuous moments in our cricket history.

 

The Australian squad’s deep dysfunction was laid bare as coach Mickey Arthur sent home four players for failing to complete a team building exercise.

 

Some saw the move as heavy-handed, arguing that professional athletes had no right to be treated like naughty school boys. Homework-gate was a watershed moment.

 

“Most of the players at the time in the group thought it was appropriate,” says Cowan.

 

“When we sat in that room, it got told to us and I remember it vividly in Mohali there were people in tears upset. The people that had been left out, it meant so much to them they’d been left out or unavailable, it actually brought the team closer together.

 

“I maintain to this day that the people made the mistake, knew at that point they had made a mistake and the rest of the team knew what the standard was from there on. As it turned out, the test in Mohali was by far and away our best Test match (of that tour). So something that happened that twigged and I think if Mickey had been able to play that out a little bit longer...”

 

Arthur wasn’t able to play it out.

 

He was sacked before an away Ashes series and Darren Lehmann took over. Cowan played the first Test of that series despite being violently ill.

 

Unsurprisingly, he failed and was dropped. Australia lost that one but vindication came for the new coach in the form of a 5-0 Ashes win at home.

Cowan believes much of that victory was borne from the work of Arthur in India.

 

“Yeah I think so, to a degree,” he says. “Mitchell Johnson, Brad Haddin, essentially won the Ashes back 5-0. Would Mickey have been able to produce those results? Who knows? My guess is to say anyone could’ve coached Mitchell Johnson that series.”

 

Could Cowan still be playing Test cricket if it was a different coaching set-up?

 

“I’ve become a bit of a caricature of myself,” Cowan says.

 

“My job, and it had been sort of ingrained in me, was to face as many balls [as possible] in this Test team. You protect Michael Clarke, you protect Michael Hussey, Ricky Ponting, to the best that you can do.

 

“One hundred balls, can you do 150 balls? We don’t care if you’re 30. I was like, ‘I’m gonna take some pride in this as my job’ and it kind of ... if I had my time again I probably would’ve said, ‘You know, I kind of get what you’re saying but I’m gonna do it the best way I see fit which would be to put some pressure on the bowlers’.

 

“As it turns out, I got dropped for being a bit too defensive.”

 

Elite cricketers don’t necessarily look like elite athletes. Cowan is slightly built, wide-eyed, with a crop of hair that resembles steel wool. He doesn’t speak like most athletes, either.

 

He’s expansive and philosophical and engaged. When you talk with Cowan, you feel like you’re having a conversation. In my experience, that is not normal for this kind of interaction.

 

This year he has performed like an elite athlete. The New South Welshman has just finished a Sheffield Shield season where he scored nearly one thousand runs at an average of 73 — more than anyone in the competition.

 

If you haven’t heard about it, you’re probably not alone. For whatever reason, he is unfashionable. His name has not been thrown around for a possible return to Test cricket. Cowan has been here before but at 34 years of age, time is not on his side.

 

“I think the realist in me thinks it’s done and maybe that’s created this cricketer who is playing like how he is,” he says.

 

“Would I like to play cricket for Australia again? Of course. That’s why I turn up to training. You turn up to training to get better.

 

“If you get the opportunity to test yourself to see how good you are in the Australian team, of course you’d do it. But do I go to bed dreaming about it like I did? No.”

 

I mention Chris Rogers and Adam Voges. Blokes snuck in Test careers between the age of 34/35 and 37.

 

“Not only that, I’m the same age as Shaun Marsh.”

 

Maybe he’s not done just yet.

 

http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/ed-cowan-talks-to-the-stack-report-about-the-virat-kohli-sledge-which-sparked-a-furious-reaction/news-story/205c076f1f4b983fc11601bec21f0566

[Deleted_User_1]

I believe he has talking about the 2011-12 tour. Kohli was a deek back then. Probably called him motherchaud.

[Sandeep99]

Kohli, classless as always. But how did Cowan expect everyone to know his mother was ill?

[Gollum]

Pretty sure our players too copped insults about their family members in Australia, only Kohli was man enough to give it back. Read Sunny's autobiography to understand the nature of Aussies on the cricket field. Scumbags with no culture these convicts.

[NameGoesHere]

Here's the thing that shows to me how we are - well most of us, including me - so ready to buy into a western narrative.

 

Initially I sympathized with Cowan (always though he was/ is a decent guy) and was ready to think of this as another example of Kohli's childishness and unnecessary aggro.

 

But is the story that Kohli, not knowing Cowan's mum was sick, abused Cowan, or whether Cowan wanted to stab Kohli? 

 

And what kind of a person is Cowan that he wanted to stab a player on the field?

 

And how would the world have reacted if Kohli has said there was a moment he wanted to stab Steve Smith?

 

[Sachinism]

lol kinda pathetic from Cowan.

Did Kohli send his mother grapes and flowers, that he knows she's unwell?

 

Why are Aussies so whiney about getting sledged and abuse when they come with a reputation of giving it on the field?

[sandeep]

Don't get too worked up about this - this story is like a David Johnson or a Joginder Sharma talking about Ricky Ponting or Steve Waugh - a no-name nobody who is trying to keep his name in the limelight.  I mean, this guy's interaction with Virat was for how many seconds, how many years ago?   

[Ultimate_Game]

All and sundry coming out of the woodwork to take shots at Kohli. Shows how thin skinned the Aussies really are who can dish it out but can't take it. Also shows to what extent Kohli has mentally disintegrated nearly everyone in Australia  Respect to Kohli for that  

[Lannister]

Think BCCI did a right thing by posting the video of Smith's sledging go viral. It's about time we shame them publicly whenever we get a chance and expose their third rate mentality. 

[G_B_]

How is Kohli supposed to know his mother is ill? As if Aussies would not attack Kohli's own mother 

 

As i said before, I have issues with Virat the tactician but I 100% agree now with his comments on the aussies.

[NameGoesHere]

BREAKING NEWS!! AUSTRALIAN EX -CRICKETER CONFESSES HE WISHED TO STAB KOHLI DURING A TEST MATCH!!

 

ACB UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT!

 

DESPITE OUR EFFORTS TO CONTACT THEM, AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS AND MEDIA REFUSED TO TALK TO US AND CONDEMN THE PLAYER'S CONFESSION!

 

DO OTHER AUSTRALIAN PLAYERS HARBOUR SUCH EVIL INTENT TOWARDS  THEIR CRICKETING OPPOSITION?

 

HAVE THEY IMBIBED THIS DESIRE TO ASSAULT FOREIGNERS FROM AN EARLY AGE DURING JUNIOR SCHOOL GAMES?

 

ARE TOURING TEAMS SAFE IN AUSTRALIA??????

 

Thank you ji.

 

Edited March 31, 2017 by NameGoesHere

[veer]

what is this... 'Lets target Kohli all day!'? kya mazaak he..

[Cricketics]

Cowan and other Aussies should let Kohli know next about all their ill family members before they sledge Kohli, because Kohli would respond back cursing some other way so these sensitive Aussies don't get offended.

 

What a bunch of cowards. They sledge first and then expect the person to not sledge back or expect the person to know about who's ill in their family and hence won't be targeted.

 

They should realize that when they sledge some Indian, be ready to be sledged back. It's not going to be one way traffic when playing against India. 

[Riju23]

These guys are the kings of throwing stones from glass houses

[Forever Indian]

This is why anything said personal should be strictly forbidden in Cricket. I am not one for condemning sledging but it should only involve the people on the field, their performances, etc.

 

It is only when things get personal that they start getting very ugly. All these MC, BC sledging should also be avoided. The opposition are not your enemies, they are just here to play a game and compete.

 

All countries are doing it, and Aussies are masters of it. So if the Aussies start by being the Good boys first then all other countries will follow.

Edited March 31, 2017 by Forever Indian

[Ultimate_Game]

This is what I've learned from this whole series saga... if Aussies do it it's "Playing Hard", if others do it it's "Crossing the line and being classless". Never seen a bigger bunch of cry-babies.

 

Aussies may as well hand over the sledging manual and rules for the same before the series begins coz you know they are gonna whine about something or the other "crossing the line" and "leave it on the ground" guidelines.

[Happy9]

Cowan should stab Australian selectors so they can picks him for November 2017 Ashes tour.He hits 9 century in domestic but his place was taken by Renshaw but wait a minute, what is Warner doing in the Australian team?

 

193 runs in India in 8 innings including 56@ Dharmasala.he was such crappy performer in SL too.

 

 

[Happy9]

22 hours ago, dandaroy said:

I believe he has talking about the 2011-12 tour. Kohli was a deek back then. Probably called him motherchaud.

no its new 'cause on MSN websites plus above Link says ''9 days ago'', Cowan says.he should stab Australian selectors or he should begging them to includes him in Australian team