Shoaib Akhtar lashes out at Pakistani criticism over frequent praise for Virat Kohli

Talking on the 'Inside out with Yousaf Anjum' series on the Cricket Pakistan YouTube channel, legendary Pakistani bowler Shoaib Akhtar defended his praise of Virat Kohli saying that he will not withhold praise for the Indian captain simply because he is Indian. When questioned by the host as to who pointed out that one of the most frequent claims against Akhtar was that he rarely praised Pakistani cricketers, as opposed to his frequent praise of Indian cricketers, in particular, Virat Kohli, Akhtar was quick to reply, saying: "He is the No.1 player in the world right now. Can you name a single player in Pakistan right now, who comes close to Kohli or Rohit Sharma? It is pointless to be angry about this. The evidence is right there, people should go look at the facts before criticising me." He also added that instead of harbouring hate, players should try to reach that level. 

Also Read | Shoaib Akhtar Mocks Indian Tailenders Over Being Scared Of Facing Him In His Prime

Fairly active on social media, Shoaib Akhtar, also known as the 'Rawalpindi Express' for his consistently fast bowling speeds, is liberal in his praise of the Indian team. Over the years, he has received a lot of flak from his countrymen for his lavish praise of Kohli and co. Akhtar has compared Kohli to the great Don Bradman and has several videos on his YouTube channel dissecting the side's performance at the 2019 World Cup. He also posted a retirement tribute to MS Dhoni. 

Also Read | Shoaib Akhtar Lauds 'Ek Zamaane Ka Naam' MS Dhoni, Recalls 2006 Musharraf Haircut Praise

Akhtar's longstanding tussle with Virender Sehwag

At an interview with comedian Vikram Sathaye in 2016, Virender Sehwag had claimed that Akhtar had only recently started praising Indian cricketers (something he was unlikely to do in his playing days) in order to earn money and attract Indian business interest. Dredging up this three-year-old incident, Akhtar said: "My answer to Virender Sehwag is that I have more money than he has hair on his head." He also added that one's wealth "depends on Allah and not India". 

Akhtar has also denied Sehwag's claim that the latter sledged him at the 2003 World Cup between India and Pakistan. Sehwag claims that he had pointed to Sachin Tendulkar and told Shoaib Akhtar, "Baap baap hota, hai aur beta beta" after the Pakistani pacer was hit for a six by the Little Master. Akhtar maintains that this never happened. The two men seem to have a cordial relationship as Sehwag was invited by Akhtar to be on his YouTube channel during the World Cup in 2019. 

Also Read | Virender Sehwag Reveals Shoaib Akhtar's Influence In Tackling Initial Fear Of Fast Bowling

The Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh incident

Harbhajan Singh had once stated that Shoaib Akhtar had bashed him and Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) in a hotel room during a tournament. Playing it much lighter, Akhtar replied they had only been horsing around and doing some arm wrestling and that Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh were like his younger brothers; he would never seriously injure or hurt them on purpose. 

Also Read | MS Dhoni Angry At Shoaib Akhtar For Deliberate Beamer Bowled At Him; Watch Video

Image Credits: Shoaib Akhtar Twitter