"I was not in favor of his captaincy" - Shoaib Akhtar's take on Virat Kohli's leadership reign
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar wants Virat Kohli to focus on his batting after having relinquished India's captaincy across all formats. The 33-year-old gave up his post as Test captain following India's loss in the third Test of the recently-concluded series against South Africa.
The ace batter initially stepped down from the post of T20I captain. With Indian management keen on having just one captain for both white-ball formats, Kohli was axed as ODI captain and was replaced by Rohit Sharma.
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Akhtar admitted that he was not a fan of Kohli's captaincy and just wanted him to consistently score runs. Like the white-ball formats, Akhtar has backed Rohit Sharma to permanently take over the reins in Tests as well.
Speaking to the Indian Express, Akhtar said:
"Everyone knows what is happening to him and who is doing it. I do not need to say anything. He captained for six-seven years. I was not in favor of his captaincy.
"I just wanted him to keep scoring hundreds. Let him just focus on his batting. Let him just score runs now. I think Rohit Sharma would be the right choice for the time being. It’s good if he doesn’t succumb to this pressure."
The BCCI are yet to announce a permanent Test captain, with Rohit Sharma leading a list of names that includes the likes of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah.
KL Rahul donned the captain's hat in the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg.
Fast bowlers have an attacking mindset: Shoaib Akhtar
The 46-year-old, who is currently plying his trade in the Legends Cricket League, firmly believes that fast bowlers make good captains. Outlining Imran Khan and Kapil Dev as examples, Akhtar notes that fast bowlers are equally adept at captaincy like batters. He added:
"It is believed that batsmen are smarter than fast bowlers. However, it’s not the case. Both are good. Motivation is high in fast bowlers as they want to finish the match by taking wickets. Fast bowlers have an attacking mindset. I have always believed that batsmen have a defensive mindset. Pakistan and India started the practice of appointing fast bowlers as captains in 1980s and 90s. Kapil Dev was a fast bowler too."
I think i should do fine. Knee nervousness a bit.
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Among fast bowlers in recent times, Jason Holder has had a good stint as West Indies captain while Pat Cummins has started his leadership reign for Australia on a bright note as well.