Karachi: Former Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal said that people who are pointing fingers at Indian skipper Virat Kohli’s leadership skills should first take a good look at themselves before speaking about the batting icon.
Lately there have been questions raised on Kohli’s captaincy after India lost the World Test Championship (WTC) final to New Zealand. The World Test Championship final is the 32-year-old’s third big loss as a captain in an ICC event. The first loss came in Champions Trophy Final against Pakistan in 2017 while the second is the 2019 World Cup against New Zealand in the semifinal.
Hailing Kohli as the best captain, after MS Dhoni, Akmal believed the India skipper knows his job, and that those wanting him to step down must not forget what all he has done for the team throughout and the class of players that he belongs to.
“Virat Kohli is the best captain after MS Dhoni. He has 70 centuries. He played the Champions Trophy and the 2019 World Cup. Sure enough, India lost but what is his fault in it? India have remained the No. 1 Test for five years. Look at his achievement, his service his captaincy is terrific. There is no doubt about it. He is an amazing player and the way he has prepared himself is phenomenal,” Akmal said.
He further opined that people who have not even led a gully team are now giving Kohli advice and demanding a change in captaincy. He further said that there is no guarantee that India will win ICC tournaments if Kohli is changed as a captain.
“He is an amazing player, an amazing captain, and no one can guarantee that if India changes the captain, they will win ICC tournaments. It is a matter of luck. It is easy to point fingers, especially those who have no idea about cricket. People who have not even led a gully team are now giving Kohli and India advise to change their captain,” Akmal pointed out.
“I don’t think he would be affected by any of such things. He is mentally strong, a big performer. No one comes close to him. To score so many centuries and average over 50 in all three formats. Amazing,” he added.
