Pakistan's legendary fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar praised Indian cricket team's skipper Virat Kohli while criticising Pakistan's decisions over selecting their captain. India has got Virat Kohli leading the team and Pakistan has average people on top, he said.
Akhtar, on a Youtube show called Cricket Pakistan, said, "Our mindset was made to change by bringing average people on the top. They brought average people to be the captain of the team. Look at what India got - they made Virat Kohli the captain, an aggressive player. Who did we bring?”
The former pace bowler has received flak from Pakistan cricket fans for his appreciation of India's performances, and skipper Kohli in particular. “I don’t know why people are angry, they should go look at the stats first before criticising me. Do they want to keep the hatred in mind, that just because he is an Indian, we will not praise him?” he said.
He also pointed out Pakistan's success in the game during the 90s and drew comparisons between the arch-rivals. "There was a time when Indians wanted to be like Pakistan. Now, Pakistan want to be like Indians. In the late 90s, India would raise their hands that we don’t want to play in Sharjah against Pakistan," he said.
Akhtar was also asked about his interest in Pakistan Cricket Board's CEO. “Nobody has approached me for the role of chief selector," he said.
“Be it me or any other person, the important thing as chief selector is the change in mindset, which we desperately need. That person and the head coach need to be on the same page for the betterment of the team.
“But I do know that the general public wants someone who thinks like me (to be) in charge of selecting players. A person who is straightforward and demands performances from the cricketers,” he added.
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