"His presence on the ground should be like Virat Kohli" - Kamran Akmal's suggestion to Rohit Sharma
Veteran Pakistani keeper-batter Kamran Akmal reckons that Team India captain Rohit Sharma must show some improvement in his captaincy during the upcoming two-match Test series, which beings in Roseau on July 12.
According to Akmal, Sharma's presence on the field should be comparable to Virat Kohli's, when the latter was in charge of India's red-ball team. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he remarked:
"India will have to play well in both Test matches against West Indies. There has to be a lot of passion. It will be important for them to start well. Rohit Sharma will have to improve. His presence on the ground should be like Virat Kohli."
Akmal reserved high praise for Kohli, suggesting the senior batter's presence was a must for India, elaborating:
"Virat Kohli is an all-time great. He is a brilliant performer. His hunger, his on-field presence, everything is top-class. He is the favorite player of all the players. A lot of cricketers get to learn a lot from his approach and performances. He is an automatic selection."
It is worth mentioning that Sharma's batting form has come under scrutiny following a string of underwhelming performances. He was also criticized by a certain section of fans for his captaincy after India's 209-run loss to Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC 2023) final at The Oval.
"This was the best chance to bring him in" - Kamran Akmal on Indian selectors ignoring Sarfaraz Khan
Kamran Akmal further stated that the Indian selectors should have considered adding Sarfaraz Khan to the Test squad for the West Indies series.
He opined that this was the best opportunity to bring in the 25-year-old, who has performed exceptionally well in domestic cricket. Akmal added:
"From what I have seen, Sarfaraz Khan has performed very well in domestic cricket. While I don't think he should have featured in the playing XI, he should have been added to the squad. It would have been a signal to him that he wasn't being ignored. This was the best chance to bring him in."
Indian Test squad for West Indies series 🏏🇮🇳
#Cricket #India #Test https://t.co/bRkzCDXQOs
Sarfaraz has an impressive record to his name, aggregating 3,505 runs at a fantastic average of 79.65 in 37 first-class appearances. While the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad earned call-ups for the West Indies Test series, the Mumbai batter was ignored yet again.