Former Pakistan Cricketer Shoaib Akhtar in a recent interview with Dainik Jagran has made a surprising statement about former India skipper Virat Kohli and the pressure of captaincy on the individuals.
The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ said that if he were in the place of Virat Kohli, he wouldn’t have gotten married to because marriage adds a lot more responsibility to a player’s life. And he thinks responsibilities in private life have an impact on one’s professional career and it was the same case with Virat Kohli.
“I would have not even married if I were in his place. I had just scored runs and enjoyed cricket, these 10-12 years of cricket are different time and doesn’t come again, I am not saying getting married is wrong but If you are playing for India, you would have enjoyed a time a little. Fans are crazy about Kohli and he had to maintain that love he is getting for the last 20 years.” Shoaib Akhtar said.
Talking about Virat’s extraordinary personality and why he quit captaincy, Shoaib mentioned that “Virat captained for 6-7 years and I was never in favour his Captaincy, I just wanted him to keep scoring 100, 120 runs and keep the focus on his batting.”
He again mentioned “As a captain, you have to think a lot. I am not against marriage but I believe play while playing, there shouldn’t be much pressure, play freely, pick up your things and play fiercely. I got married when I retired from the captain. As a Captain, you have to face the media, the brand, all the things which come with it.”