Virat Kohli found MS Dhoni, but here senior players cannot digest success: Ahmed Shahzad on Pakistan team's culture
Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has cited the example of how Virat Kohli has always got MS Dhoni's support while talking about the differences between Indian and Pakistan cricket.
Kohli went through some tough times in his career, like the horror 2014 tour of England. But he was still backed by the then-captain Dhoni and it eventually paid off as Virat Kohli went on to become one of the greats of Indian cricket.
However, when it came to Pakistan cricketers, Shehzad claimed that the senior players were jealous of seeing their teammates succeed.
Speaking in an explosive interview with Cricket Pakistan, here's what Shehzad had to say:
"I have said this before and I will say it again, Kohli’s career picked off amazingly because he found MS Dhoni but unfortunately, here in Pakistan, your own people cannot stand your success. Our own senior players and ex-cricketers cannot digest seeing someone succeed in the cricketing world, which is unfortunate for Pakistan cricket."
Players with 10000+ Runs and 50+ average in ODI
1. MS Dhoni
2. Virat Kohli
End of the list! https://t.co/ayGYfQRyzl
Shehzad on Virat Kohli's recent slump in form and how he is still backed
Ahmed Shehzad also shed light on how Team India continue to back Kohli despite him not scoring an international century for more than two years.
However, the 30-year-old Pakistan cricketer claimed that he was judged on the basis of just two poor games and was never called back:
"Kohli’s been struggling for form for the past two years, while I was cast aside after two matches. I was told to perform in the Faisalabad tournament and I was the highest scorer there but still I was not handed another chance."
Shehzad and Kohli were compared on many levels when their careers started together and it was said that the two would have a healthy rivalry over the years. It is disappointing to see how Shehzad's international career could never really take off.