Expect huge queues and traffic jams if Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni visit Pakistan, says Wasim Akram
Legendary fast bowler, Wasim Akram has said that the popularity of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni in Pakistan is such that people will form long queues and will stand in hours-long traffic jam to catch a glimpse of the Indian superstars.
A couple of days back, Shahid Afridi, the Pakistani captain for this year's ICC World T20 was involved in a controversy due to one of his statements which quoted, “We get a lot of love from fans here, even more than the love we get from fans in Pakistan.” The Pakistani skipper was vehemently condemned by the former Pakistani batsman, Javed Miandad who labelled the 36-year-old's assertion as ’shameful'.
Afridi was even served a legal notice by the state on Monday for ‘ committing treason’ and ‘hurting sentiments’ of millions of Pakistanis who look up to the all-rounder as a role model.
However in an interview given to India Today TV channel, the legendary fast bowler of Pakistan, Wasim Akram said something that was more or less in line with Shahid Afridi's point of view.
The ex-Pakistani speedster who has wrapped up over 900 international wickets for his national cricket team acknowledged the fact that he has received a lot of love from the Indian fans and even cited an example of the standing ovation that was given to the Pakistan cricket team after they defeated their Indian counterparts in Chennai in 1999 in order to strengthen his argument.
“Expect huge queues (and) traffic jams if Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni visit Pakistan,” Akram told the TV channel.
The 49-year-old Kolkata Knight Riders bowling coach- who is also arguably the finest advocate of reverse swing bowling- has also stated that the media should now focus more on the T20 World Cup than on Afridi's ‘pro-India’ comment.
Team India is set to face New Zealand in the opening game of ICC World T20 2016 today at Nagpur. Incidentally, the ‘Men in Blue’ have a terrible record against the Kiwis in the T20 World Cups as they have lost all the four matches that they have played against the island nation.
Pakistan, however, will kick-start their World T20 campaign against minnows Bangladesh at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. The two fierce South-Asian rivals are scheduled to clash against each other in a group stage match of the ICC World T20 2016 at the Mecca of Indian cricket on Saturday.