Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik issued an apology after receiving criticism for his comments while doing commentary during the second One-Day International between England and Sri Lanka on Thursday.
Karthik came in for criticism after comparing cricket bats to a “neighbour’s wife” while doing commentary for Sky Sports in England.
“Batsmen and not liking bats – they go hand in hand,” Karthik had said. “Most of the batters don’t seem to like their bats. They either like another person’s bat or... bats are like a neighbour’s wife, they always feel better.”
England vs Sri Lanka: Dinesh Karthik comes in for criticism after making sexist comment on air
Karthik, who has played 26 Tests, 94 ODIs and 32 T20Is for India, issued an apology for his comments during the third ODI between England and Sri Lanka on Sunday.
“I want to apologise 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.
“I am really sorry that it shouldn’t happen again. I got a lot of stick from my wife and my mum for saying that,” he added.
The 36-year-old, who only recently began his stint in the commentary box, had received praise for his keen insight during the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand.
However his comment on Thursday didn’t go down well with people and many called him out on social media.