70 hundreds weren’t scored in aunt’s backyard or while playing Candy Crush: Akhtar hits out at Kohli’s critics

Speaking
on
his
YouTube
channel,
the
fast-bowling
great
lend
his
support
to
Kohli,
who
is
undergoing
a
prolonged
lean
patch.
Hitting
back
at
Kohli’s
critics,
Akhtar
pointed
out
that
the
former
Indian
skipper’s
70
international
hundreds
weren’t
score
in
an
‘aunty’s
backyard’ or
during
a
‘candy
crush
video
game’.

Kohli
has
been
out
of
form
for
almost
three
years
and
that
has
led
to
critics
and
former
cricketers
demanding
his
ouster
from
India’s
T20
World
Cup
squad.
Amongst
Kohli’s
critics,
legendary
Indian
cricketer
Kapil
Dev
has
also
demanded
his
exclusion
from
India’s
World
Cup
squad.

Kapil
Dev
had
said
that
it
was
unfair
to
keep
the
out-of-form
Kohli
in
the
team,
while
talented
youngsters
missed
out.
Though
Akhtar
said
he
respected
Dev’s
comments,
the
former
Pakistani
legend
reminded
everyone
of
Kohli’s
stature.

Backing
the
former
Indian
captain,
Akhtar
on
his
YouTube
channel
said,
“Kapil
Dev
is
my
senior
and
he
has
an
opinion
and
it
is
fine
to
have
an
opinion.
If
Kapil
Dev
says,
you
still
understand
as
he
is
a
great
cricketer.
He
has
the
right
to
air
his
opinion.

“But,
as
a
Pakistani,
why
am
I
supporting
Kohli?
Well,
he
has
70
hundreds.
Woh
70
sau
khaala
ke
ghar
mein
ya
candy
crush
khelte
huye
nahi
banein
hain.
(Those
70
tons
were
not
scored
in
his
aunt’s
backyard
or
while
playing
Candy
Crush).”

The
Pakistani
was
left
disappointed
at
the
thought
that
several
called
for
Kohli’s
exclusion
–
a
player
who
has
43
ODI
and
27
Test
hundreds
to
his
name.
“How
did
you
even
imagine
in
your
wildest
dreams
that
Kohli
can
be
dropped
from
Indian
team?

“Virat
Kohli
is
finished?
Ok,
fair
enough.
Virat
Kohli
should
be
dropped?
Agreed.
Now
when
I
hear
these
things,
I
laugh
and
tell
people,
‘Virat
has
been
the
greatest
batter
in
the
world
in
the
last
10
years.

“Yes,
he
has
had
a
couple
of
lean
years
and
even
in
those
years,
he
has
scored
runs
if
not
hundreds.
Suddenly
everyone
getting
up
in
arms
against
him,
such
a
great
player
and
a
human
being
isn’t
right,”
Akhtar
added.

The
‘Rawalpindi
Express’ went
on
to
state
that
Kohli
may
still
be
carrying
the
baggage
of
captaincy.
“My
advice
to
Virat
would
be
simple
—
he
should
forget
that
he
ever
was
captain
of
India
with
all
the
limelight
on
him
and
just
simply
focus
on
his
batting.
All
the
criticism
that
is
directed
at
him
is
designed
to
make
him
stronger
and
he
will
emerge
as
a
bigger
person.”

Though
Akhtar
added
that
the
age
old
saying
of
‘form
is
temporary,
class
is
permanent’
isn’t
true.
“Bhaijaan
jab
form
jaati
hai,
tab
class
bhi
jaati
hai
(when
you
lose
form,
even
class
deserts
you),”
he
added.

Before
signing
off
the
former
Pakistani
legend
share
a
piece
of
advice
for
the
struggling
Kohli,
adding,
that
Kohli
should
not
try
and
hit
his
way
out
of
trouble
but
stick
around
and
play
at
least
100
balls.

“Runs
will
come
if
he
sticks
around
and
just
mere
hitting
won’t
suffice.
I
had
predicted
110
international
hundreds,
and
once
he
is
back
in
form,
he
will
hit
30
hundreds,”
signed
off
Akhtar,
who
urged
the
swashbucking
batsman
to
shut
out
the
criticism
and
channelise
the
anger
and
disappointment
towards
his
performance.