Bengaluru: Backing the effervescent batsman, former Pakistani great Shoaib Akhtar slammed at Virat Kohli's critics by saying that former India captain's 70 international tons weren't scored in his aunty's backyard.
Kohli has been under fire by several great cricketers including Kapil Dev for his lean patch. The legendary Indian cricketer has gone to the extent of dropping Kohli from the side.
"Kapil Dev is my senior and he has an opinion and it is fine to have an opinion. If Kapil Dev says, you still understand as he is a great cricketer. He has the right to air his opinion.
"But, as a Pakistani, why am I supporting Kohli? Well, he has 70 hundreds. Woh 70 sau khaala ke ghar mein ya candy crush khelte huye nahi banein hain. (Those 70 tons were not scored in his aunt's backyard or while playing Candy Crush)," he said.
Shoaib said he was pained at the very sugestions of several ex-players calling for his exclusion. "How did you even imagine in your wildest dreams that Kohli can be dropped from Indian team? ... Yes, he has had a couple of lean years and even in those years, he has scored runs if not hundreds. Suddenly everyone getting up in arms against him, such a great player and a human being isn't right," Akhtar added.
He also opined that Virat could be carrying the burden of captaincy. "My advice to Virat is that he should forget that he ever was captain of India with all the limelight on him and just focus on his batting. All the criticism that is heaped at him is designed to make him stronger and he will emerge as a bigger person."
Before signing off, Shoaib advised Virat to avoid playing shots early on and try to play at least 100 balls before cutting loose.
He however did not agree to the old adage of "form is temporary, class is permanent" by saying that when someone looses form, even class divorces him. (UNI)
