Shahid Afridi feels that India cricket star Virat Kohli should have responded to Pakistan captain Babar Azam's message of support for him on Twitter.
Shahid Afridi is a former Pakistan cricketer who is known for his highly controversial comments against India and its players and once again, he was back bashing a high-profile name from the country.
Accusing Virat Kohli of having no courtesy, Shahid Afridi claimed that throughout the day he waited for the Delhi-born cricketer's reply to Babar Azam's tweet but to no avail.
Shahid Afridi even insisted that Virat Kohli will never respond to Babar Azam's Twitter post because he wasn't brave enough to go against the sentiments of the public at large in India.
Babar Azam came out in support of Virat Kohli on Friday after the Indian batter got out for 16 in the second ODI against England at Lord’s.
“This too shall pass. Stay strong. #ViratKohli,” Babar Azam wrote on Twitter.
This too shall pass. Stay strong. #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/ozr7BFFgXt
— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) July 14, 2022
Later the Lahore-born cricketer explained the rationale behind his post.
The Pakistan cricket star said the main reason behind his tweet was to support Virat Kohli, who remains one of the best players in the world despite his ongoing lean patch with the bat.
“As a player myself, I know you can go through such a phase (out of form) and I also know what a player goes through in such a phase. In those times, you need support. I just tweeted thinking that it will give just some support. He is one of the best players,” Babar Azam said during a press conference on the eve of Pakistan’s first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle.
“He is playing a lot of cricket and he knows how to come out of these situations. It takes time, if you back players, it will be really good,” Babar Azam added.
Shahid Afridi was in awe of Babar Azam's gesture and stated that an acknowledgment from Virat Kohli would have broken ice between the two nations that haven't played bilateral cricket against each other since 2013.
“Be it cricket or any other sport, it improves relations (between countries). Athletes can do a much better job at it than politicians and a number of them are doing the same,” Shahid Afridi told SAMAA TV.
“Babar has given across an incredible message. I don’t know if there has been a response from the other side. I think Virat should have responded by now. It would be a very big thing if there is a response to Babar’s tweet, but I don’t think that is going to happen,” Shahid Afridi added.
Earlier, Kapil Dev added fuel to the fire over Virat Kohli’s “rest” from India’s upcoming tour of the West Indies where the Rohit Sharma-led side is set to participate in three ODIs and five T20Is.
But ex-Pakistan captain Rashid Latif doesn’t believe that Virat Kohli has been dropped. The former Pakistan wicketkeeper even went as far as to say that no Indian selector had the guts to drop Virat Kohli from the Indian team.
“India mein wo selector paida nahi hua hai jo Virat (Kohli) ko drop kar sake (no selector in India can drop Virat Kohli),” Rashid Latif said during a conversation with the YouTube channel ‘Caught Behind.’
Rashid Latif even hinted at Virat Kohli being targeted because his overall record, particularly in limited-overs cricket wasn’t that bat. The Delhi-born batter still averages around 40 in ODIs since the 2019 World Cup.
“Virat ke kandhe pe bandhuk rakhke puri India ki team bach rahi rahi. (Virat is just a scapegoat for all other players’ failure) You take a look at the 2019 World Cup, the last T20 World Cup. If Virat didn’t perform then what did the others do?” Rashid Latif added.
Just like the legendary Sunil Gavaskar had earlier revealed a technical flaw in Virat Kohli’s batting, Rashid Latif too mentioned that the Delhi-born star’s frailties outside the off-stump were proving to be the biggest obstacle in his quest to find his form back.
“Kohli’s problem is not mental, it’s technical. You take a look at how he started the innings with a straight driver, an on drive and then played a cover drive. Watch the lengths of those deliveries, they were full, the ones Virat is comfortable with. But the one he got out to was pulled back and moved away. I believe that was a ball that should have been cut but Virat doesn’t play that shot. He always puts his weight on the front foot. He obviously doesn’t have any problem when the ball is pitched up but when it’s short, his balance is not right. His momentum carries his body in front and naturally, he finds it difficult to adjust when the ball is slightly short and away from his eye-line. Batting coach Vikram Rathour and head coach Rahul Dravid have to work on that,” Rashid Latif pointed out.
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