"I am the world No.1, after me stands Virat Kohli" - Pakistan batter makes bold claim
Pakistani batter Khurram Manzoor recently highlighted his stellar record in 50-over cricket and claimed to have a better conversation rate than former India captain Virat Kohli.
Speaking on Nadir Ali's YouTube channel, Manzoor emphasized that he did not want to draw any comparisons with Kohli. He did, however, say that he is the world's No.1 in the format, with Kohli coming in second.
The right-handed batter pointed out that he has performed admirably in the last few years. Manzoor suggested that he has been consistently overlooked by the national selectors even after doing so well. Highlighting his impressive record in List A cricket, Manzoor said:
"I am not comparing myself with Virat Kohli. Fact is, in 50-overs cricket, whoever is there in the top 10, I am the world no.1, after me stands Kohli. My conversion rate in List A cricket is better than him."
"He scores a century every six innings," he added. "I score a century in every 5.68 innings. And based on my average of 53, over the last 10 years, I am ranked fifth in the world in List A cricket."
Notably, Manzoor made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in 2009. However, with only seven appearances to his name, he is yet to establish himself in the Pakistan team.
The 36-year-old has also played 17 Tests and three T20Is so far in his career. He has been a top performer in List A cricket, aggregating 7922 runs in 165 innings at an average of 53.52.
"Nobody has ever given me a solid reason for that" - Khurram Manzoor on his non-selection
Khurram Manzoor further went on to speak about his impressive form, noting that he has slammed 24 centuries in his last 48 outings.
He stated that he has upstaged every other Pakistani opener since 2015. Manzoor mentioned that his performances in the shortest format have also been outstanding, citing his stats in the country's domestic T20 competition.
He also remarked that he doesn't know why he has failed to make the cut, as nobody has given him any reason.
"I also have scored 24 centuries in the last 48 innings," Manzoor said. "Between 2015 and now, whoever has opened for Pakistan, I still remain the leading scorer among them. I am also the top scorer and century-getter in national T20. Yet I get ignored. And nobody has ever given me a solid reason for that."
Manzoor's last appearance in international cricket dates back to March 2016. Playing against Bangladesh, he managed just one run from seven deliveries. He hasn't featured in Pakistan's playing XI in any format since then.