Former England cricketer-turned-commentator David Lloyd has lambasted Virat Kohli for raising question over the ‘umpire’s call’ rule in DRS, adding that the Indian captain has been ‘pressuring, disrespecting’ the on-field umpires during the ongoing home series against England.

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In his column for Daily Mail, Lloyd further hit out at Kohli for suggesting that England pressurized umpire Nitin Menon to give soft signal in their favour during the 5th T20I at Ahmedabad.

“Kohli also suggested England were pressuring umpires to give the 'soft signal' as out when Dawid Malan took a low catch in the fourth T20. Firstly, the soft signal is there to leave as much authority as possible with the on-field umpires.

“And I don't know if England put pressure on Nitin Menon in Ahmedabad, but I do know one thing — Kohli has been pressuring, disrespecting and remonstrating with umpires throughout this tour,” Lloyd wrote.

Lloyd also took the International Cricket Council (ICC) to task for not handling the on-field altercations between the players strictly.

“There have also been a number of altercations in India which, when copied, will permeate through every level. There was another on Tuesday near the end of the India innings. You should not confront an opposition player on the field. It's just not done. And the toothless International Cricket Council have done nothing,” he wrote.

Ahead of the first ODI in Pune, Kohli said that the Umpire's Call is creating a lot of confusion at the moment and the authorities need to look at it so that it does not leave a grey area when a marquee event is being played.

Llyod strongly opposed Kohli’s views against the umpire’s call.

“Umpires are being increasingly undermined in international cricket and there are players who seem to think they, rather than the officials, are running the game.

“Take Virat Kohli. Before the first ODI the India captain said umpire's call should be removed from the decision review system and if the ball is shown to be hitting any part of the stumps it should be given out.

“Kohli does not seem to have taken the consequences into account. If everything is out, including when the ball is just clipping the bails, then all Tests would be over in two days. An ODI would be over in four hours.

“Umpires have to be given their authority back. They must be handed yellow and red cards to stamp that lost authority because they look powerless. And Kohli, who has vast responsibility and influence, should be very careful in what he says and does,” Lloyd wrote in his column.