Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has agreed many times that he is a fan of Indian batter Virat Kohli. Kohli is one of the best in his business, and he recently scored his 75th international century in the Ahmedabad Test against Australia.
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Kohli and Akhtar never faced each other in international cricket, but they were part of the 2010 Asia Cup game between India and Pakistan. Remembering that match, Kohli had once said in the show ‘Breakfast with Champions’ that the Pakistan pacer looked so lethal even in the latter stages of his career.
Akhtar was certainly one of the most fearsome bowlers to play the match. He was considered one of the fastest and he had rivalries with quite a few players. Akhtar had some great encounters with Australian batter Matthew Hayden, whereas his battles with former Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar are still talked about.
Shoaib Akhtar adviced Pakistani players to be fearless citing Virat Kohli-Imran Khan comparison
Akhtar is famous for his frank opinions on social media, and he had once asked the Pakistan team to follow the footsteps of Kohli. He had insisted that Kohli is one of the fittest players in the game, and he also inspires his teammates to do the same.
ALSO READ: When Akhtar advised Kohli to ignore the critics
Akhtar compared Kohli to former Pakistan captain Imran Khan. Khan is considered one of the greatest all-rounders, and Pakistan won the 1992 World Cup under his captaincy only. It is said that Khan was a fearless captain, and Akhtar said that Pakistan should follow the same.
“Imran Khan was not a tactical captain, but he knew how to gather match-winners. Now India is doing the same, see Kohli’s attitude, he plays with a lot of intensity, the players follow the captain. India has strict rules to ensure players’ conduct both on and off the field,” Shoaib Akhtar said on his Youtube channel.
“We need to play good and fearless cricket. Our players need to be aware of the situation of the game. Pakistan needs to promote talent, especially in batting. You should not worry about the age of a player.”
Shoaib Akhtar playing in Legends League Cricket 2023
Akhtar is currently playing in the LLC 2023, where he is a part of the Asia Lions squad. The pacer missed the first match of the tournament, but he is in Doha at the moment and can feature in the remaining games.
