Kerry O’Keefe Pens an Apology Letter to Indian Fans, Cricketer Turned Commentator Says ‘The Joke Was on Me’

Kerry O’Keefe has penned an apology letter, on Fox Sports Australia, after being slammed on social media for his sly remarks on the Indian players while commentating in the third Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The former Australian cricketer-cum-commentator said that he was devastated by how the people wrongly interpreted his on-air remarks.

O’Keefe wrote, “I am coming to terms with how negatively those words have been interpreted. That interpretation is not who I am. It is not what I represent. My style as a commentator is to attempt to find a quirky view to lighten up some of the serious analysis.” Virat Kohli Has Never Lost a Match After Winning the Toss: Read Indian Captain’s Test Captaincy Record.

O’Keefe had spoken ill about Mayank Agarwal’s batting form during the first day of the Boxing Day Test. He further wrote, “When I made a remark about Indian first-class batting averages within their domestic cricket competition being made against a 'canteen' bowling attack, I was being entirely tongue in cheek. I was certainly not disrespecting Indian cricket, where I toured as a schoolboy and for which I have the greatest admiration as a cricketing nation.”

Speaking on the backlash that he received during the Test match, O’Keefe said, “I accept that some fans may not always relate to my sense of humour - but missing the mark on a joke between overs is vastly different to what I've been accused of on Twitter and in some sections of the media in recent days. I pride myself on doing extensive research before a match, and when I stumbled over the names of Pujara and Jadeja on Day Four, I took a swipe at myself for getting them wrong.” Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah Take Indirect Jibes at Kerry O’Keefe’s Comment, Heaps Praises on Indian Domestic Cricket Setup After Historic Win at MCG.

Clarifying on the issue, O’Keefe said that he had no intention to ridicule Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mayank Agarwal. O’Keefe said, “There was no intention to ridicule those two wonderful players, and I am horrified by any suggestion to the contrary. I had spent months researching and analysing these two players, and when the moment arrived, I stuffed it up. The joke was on me.” Virat Kohli Gifts Pads to a Young Kid, Signs his Miniature Bat After India's Win Against Australia in 2018 Boxing Day Test at MCG!

Earlier in the day, India scripted a historic win against Australia at the MCG by 137 runs. India is 2-1 up in the 4-match Test series, and will be heading into the final Test match at Sydney with an unassailable lead. Stay tuned with all the latest updates about India-Australia 2018-19 Test Series.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 30, 2018 09:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).