Former Pakistan fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar has said that if he had gone through a situation similar to that of Virat Kohli then he had chosen not to have got married as he would have liked to focus on his cricket. Akhtar also stated that Virat was forced to leave the captain of Team India. Last year, Kohli announced his resignation as the T20I skipper, and then he was sacked from ODI captaincy as the selectors wanted one skipper for the white-ball format.
Earlier this month, Virat Kohli announced that he will be stepping down as the Indian Test captain after donning the illustrated cap for almost seven years.
During a recent interview, Shoaib Akhtar said, “I do not know what is right, what is wrong. It has all happened, now how to go ahead from here matters. Kohli has the bat, he does not want to be dropped from the team. Performance pressure will be there on him, I wanted him to score 120 tons and not become the captain and get married after he was done with cricket. If I was in India and was a fast-bowler, I would not have married. I would have focused on my cricket, this is my thinking. It was Kohli’s personal decision”
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Shoaib Akhtar who is currently plying trade in the Legends League Cricket, while talking to ANI said: “Virat didn’t leave captaincy but was forced to do so. This is not the best of times for him but he needs to prove what he is made of. Is he made of steel or iron? He is a great guy and a cricketer. Do not try too many things, just go out there and play cricket. He is a great batsman and has achieved more than anyone else in the world. He just needs to go out there and play with his natural flow.”
#WATCH | Performance pressure is there on him (Virat Kohli) …I wanted him to marry…after scoring 120 centuries…I wouldn't have married…had I been in his place… anyway, that's his personal decision..: Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Virat Kohli (23.01) pic.twitter.com/aGRi82kxxE
— ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2022
Talking about the same batting form of Virat Kohli, Shoaib Akhtar said, “He plays a lot with his bottom hand and I think when the form is out, bottom hand players usually are the first ones to get in trouble. I think he’s gonna come out of this. He should move forward from this and not keep any bitterness against anyone. Just forgive everybody and keep moving. I know BCCI will make a smart decision regarding this.”
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On Friday, ICC announced the schedule for the Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, and the Men in Blue are scheduled to be locking horns with Pakistan in their first match of the tournament on October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Talking about the match, Shoaib Akhtar said, “We will beat India again in Melbourne. Pakistan is a better side than India in T20 cricket. It’s the Indian media that make unnecessary pressure on their team whenever we have the clash of both countries in cricket, it’s normal for India to lose.”
