'Made a terrible mistake, shared false information related to Virat,' says AB de Villiers

Johannesburg, Feb 9 (IANS) Former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers on Friday apologised for sharing "false information" related to Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma that they were expecting their second child which has led to the star Indian batter missing the first two Tests against England.

Enquired about his previous statement on Kohli, De Villiers, who shares a great rapport with the former Indian captain off the field due to their camaraderie and stint at Royal Challengers Bangalore, changed his stand, saying, "Absolutely family comes first, it's a priority, as I said on my YouTube show. Also, I made a terrible mistake at the same time and yeah, sharing false information which was not true at all. No one knows what's happening.

"That’s all I can do is wish him well and I think the whole world that follows Virat and that enjoys his cricket, must just wish him well, and whatever the reason is for this break. Really hope that he comes back stronger, better, healthier, and fresh," the former South African batter told IANS.

Earlier, de Villiers had said that Kohli's second child is on the way and it's family time and things are important to him. It did not go down well with the Indian cricket fans and they lambasted Kohli for giving the England series a miss.

However, now the South African changed his statement and tried to pacify the situation. As per latest reports, Kohli's absence in the England series is set to be extended, with the senior India batter expected to miss the third and fourth Tests in Rajkot and Ranchi, respectively.

It was on January 22, three days before the start of the England series, that the BCCI announced that Kohli had pulled out of the first two Tests for "personal reasons".

It will be interesting to see when the selectors announce the team for the next match. And will the BCCI share the "true information" related to Kohli.