Pakistan's Virat love-affair continues: Fans slam Australian journalist for calling Kohli a 'sweeper'

Virat Kohli has always shared a volatile relationship with Australians. During the Test series between Team India and Australia earlier this year, tensions were at an all-time high.

The Aussie media even had the audacity to term Kohli classless, and compared the 28-year-old to US President Donald Trump. All this while their captain Steve Smith was suffering brain fades.

Ahead of the first ODI between Pakistan and the World XI side in Lahore on Tuesday, an Australian journalist once again took a cheap shot at Kohli.

The journalist posted a picture of Kohli cleaning a cricket stadium (as part of a promotional move to promote the part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan last year), and termed him a 'sweeper' in the caption.

"Sweepers clean the stadium in readiness for the World XI match," tweeted the journalist.

Here's the tweet:

Sweepers clean the stadium in readiness for the World XI match pic.twitter.com/QWzzW13OFc

- Worldennis XI (@DennisCricket_) September 12, 2017

This time, though, it was Kohli's fans from Pakistan that stood up for him. Blasting the journo for showing disrespect to Kohli, the fans came out all guns blazing.

Here are some of their tweets:

And there is a team worse than sweepers... pic.twitter.com/rDnJRwO0gt

- Uday KASOJU (@Uday_kasoju) September 12, 2017

Have some respect, cricket ko b politics jesa ganda na banao!

— Superna Batheja (@SupernaBatheja) September 12, 2017

Don't make fun of legend of cricket. Really miss him in world XI

— Hope (@Waqaralisayyed) September 12, 2017

If you can't do anything good then please don't disrespect those who are willing to do good things 

— Abdur Rauf (@07_rauf) September 12, 2017

I think he desrve some respct yr....he is more than talented n rational guy....ksi or lga dena tha na

— Aqib Munir (@NiceAqib) September 12, 2017

No bro thats bad habnit we should respect

— Sameer Khan (@sameershona786) September 12, 2017

Don't mess with @imVkohli ... Think before tweet.. What we are and What he is? pic.twitter.com/STxb47Nrgj

- (@theninama) September 12, 2017

Yeh kohli Ka salary hai Pakistan or Australia Ka GDP

- Prateek Bagree (@Praty_b) September 12, 2017

Think this is very ill quoted, @imVkohli is legend and will remain one #WorldXI welcome to Pak

- (@1_PAK) September 12, 2017

U know hw much is earning of @imVkohli dat he can purchase this stadium n keep u sweeper over there n also pay u more dan ur current package

- DEEPAK SARAF (@1frm90Migration) September 12, 2017

I reject this nonsense , respect for big names ,big players of cricket ,from Pakistan.

- Ahsan (@LovePak1stan) September 12, 2017

We love cricket, we love these legends. Respect from Pakistan.

- Naeem shah (@Naeemshah99) September 12, 2017

Better sweeper than any Australian player. If only you could sweep bangla bowlers

- Aayush Bafna (@aayush_bafna) September 12, 2017

You do know that he can purchase your 7 generations in minutes right?? And yeah he'll showcase his cleansweeping skills in upcoming series..

- Avanish Pandey (@avanish_2face) September 12, 2017

Kohli recently won Pakistani hearts after he mentioned the names of Imran Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Javed Miandad in a Teacher's Day tribute. Although the tensions between India and Pakistan continue, the talismanic batsman's fan-following is growing steadily on both sides of the border.