India and Pakistan may never come to cordial terms politically but it’s heartening to learn the warm relationship between cricketers across the border.
The mutual respect Shoaib Akhtar and Virat Kohli hold for each other adds a beautiful chapter to the tender relationship between cricketers of India and Pakistan.
Shoaib Akhtar as we all know holds the record of having bowled the fastest bowl in International cricket. His dreadful eyes and fierce pace made batsmen tremble. On the other hand, Virat Kohli is the best modern day batsman who is exploiting all batting records as per his will. Virat is a busy guy and this has been a long home season for him but then too he sneaked out some time for an interview with Gaurav Kapoor.
When Virat Kohli was candidly asked about a bowler he’s been terrified to face, he without much hesitation said Shoaib Akhtar. As a part of the candid interview Virat Kohli said that he’d rather be at the non striker end when Shoaib is bowling. He added that he’s never faced Shoaib though but he’s witnessed him bowl at Dambulla during the Asia Cup.
Virat further said that even though then Shoaib Akhtar was in the last instalment of his career but still he looked lethal with the bowl. It was wonderful to see Kohli who’s otherwise a nightmare for bowlers extend so much respect for Shoaib Akhtar. What did Akhtar say in reply to this?
I was better off not bowling at all when #Kohli was batting.Jokes apart,he’s a gr8 batsman & bowling agnst him wud have been a gr8 contest. pic.twitter.com/EHL32UpXrU
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) November 4, 2017
As Shoaib came across Virat’s appreciation for him over the social media Shoaib said, “ I was better off not bowling at all when Kohli was batting. Jokes apart he’s a great batsman and bowling against him would have been a great contest.”
“I was better off not bowling at all when #Kohli was batting.Jokes apart,he’s a gr8 batsman & bowling agnst him wud have been a gr8 contest.”
The Rawalpindi Express posted this on his Twitter handle. Being a cricket fan it’s just amazing to see such mutual respect for each other in Kohli and Shoaib Akhtar. If Shoaib was a lethal bowler in old times then Virat is the deadliest batsman in the contemporary era.
Seeing two greats talk about each other’s greatness so candidly and with such humility you got to say that here cricket won, neither India nor Pakistan. Kohli has never been shy to appreciate others given he’s the best batsman of the era. This is where his very honest character shows up and gives us more reasons to love him than just his batting.
“Virat Kohli is a great batsman and is a brilliant achiever,” said Akhtar. “I have come across a number of Indian players and had a very friendly relationship with Sourav (Ganguly) and Virender Sehwag so it’s a mutual admiration.”
