Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul, out of the Indian team for their controversial remarks on Koffee With Karan 6, found unprecedented support from the Australian great, Allan Border. The former Aussie captain, who was a part of the Australian delegation at Vibrant Gujarat Summit, said that the ban on Pandya and Rahul was harsh and over the top.

As per the report in the Indian Express report, Allan Border said, “I didn’t know quite what to make of it because it seemed fairly harmless (comments). I haven’t seen the episode, just read reports about it. It did seem little inappropriate what they were talking about, but I think the ban was a bit over the top.” Will Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul’s Absence in Indian Team Post KWK 6 Controversy Be a Blessing in Disguise During 2019 Series Against New Zealand?

He further added, “In this age of social media, things just go out of hand. I feel sorry for the young blokes, they’ve learnt a hard lesson. I think young sportsmen in this day and age, I suppose, need to be media-trained because the slightest little thing can be blown out of proportion.”

Allan Border also spoke about the perils of social media in the modern age in the context of cricket. He said, “What goes on social media, doesn’t have to be necessarily the absolute 100% truth. Sometimes it just grows legs on all sides and goes off on all different tangents. So I guess young athletes need to be mindful of that. The phenomenon of social media, has its good parts but also its negatives.”

“But yes, I think they’ve learnt their lesson,” is what Border said while speaking about the banned duo of Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul, as he signed off. Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul To Play in IPL 2019? Teams Mull Over Duo's Participation Despite Indefinite Suspension.

There were a lot of topics on Allan Border spoke his mind. Some of them were his views on how India was better of the two teams in their historic tour Down Under. Border spoke about how Dhoni is an essential part of India’s ODI’s setup ahead of the ICC World Cup 2019 too.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 21, 2019 11:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).