The Indian Test captain, Virat Kohli’s press conference before leaving for South Africa on Wednesday triggered mixed reactions in the cricket fraternity. He didn’t mince his words in replying to queries regarding the controversies which engulfed Indian cricket over the past week in a rather composed manner. He revealed the conversations he had with BCCI when he communicated his decision to step down from T20I captaincy.
Virat Kohli’s comments reflect on miscommunication between him and the BCCI, and former Pakistan opener, Salman Butt lashed out at the board for their way of treating Kohli. In the latest video on his Youtube channel, Salman Butt said, “I truly believe whatever he (Kohli) says. He is very clear in his talk. He said that they only told him 1.5 hours before the selection of the Test team that he would no longer be the ODI captain.”
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He further elaborated, “Now, some people might say that selectors are not obliged to tell. I don’t know about that, but look at who you are talking to! He is ‘the’ player. In the last few years, the magnitude of your cricket is based on (the success of) few individuals and he is right up there with those people. It started with Ganguly’s captaincy, passed it on to Dhoni and he, then, passed it on to Kohli. His contribution as a player is no less than anyone.”
Salman Butt further insisted that Kohli is ‘world’s no.1 player,’ and such controversies should’ve been avoided. Butt reckons that Virat Kohli isn’t any other player, he is one of the players who make the difference. The former Pakistan captain further insisted that Ganguly needs to address Kohli’s comments ‘for the betterment of Indian cricket’.
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Elaborating the same, Salman Butt said, “Ganguly has been a big player and we all respect him, but Kohli has thrown Ganguly’s claim out of the window. He very clearly said that there was no such request. He is clear in his head and in his speech. Ganguly needs to answer this for the betterment of Indian cricket.”
