Indian superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should be allowed to continue playing and decide their future in international cricket, believes former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed. Questions loomed over the future of India’s captain Rohit and senior batter Kohli after consecutive Test series loss to New Zealand and Australia, where both struggled to get going.
“People should not even talk about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Their performances have been outstanding for India,” Ahmed told reporters here on Sunday. “Virat Kohli has won those matches for India, and I have seen it with my own eyes, you can’t imagine, the kind of performances he has produced for India.
“The same goes for Rohit Sharma. The way he is leading the team. He led the team outstandingly in the 2023 (ODI) World Cup and won the T20 World Cup.” Ahmed said Virat and Rohit will say their goodbyes to cricket when they think is the right time but until then, India should make their teams “around them”.
“Let them play and let them decide what they want to do. You should make your team around them. The way they bid adieu to T20Is, they will do it for other formats when they will feel it is time. You should not make a team be removing them, you should make teams by including them,” he said.
Similarly, Ahmed feels Pakistan should also make a team with Babar Azam at its centre. The former captain and ace batter, though, fell for a mere 23 in the big game against India. “Babar Azam is a different player. I think they should set up the (Pakistan) team in a way that Babar Azam can play full 50 overs like Virat Kohli does for India. He takes time in the beginning and then runs the game,” he said.
“His (Babar’s) goal should be to play the full 50 overs at one-down or whatever number he bats and there should be (other) batters around him who can take on the game and Babar can take care of the other end,” he added.
Ahmed said the Indian players, who have not travelled to Pakistan and are playing all their matches in Dubai, would receive a lot of love and admiration from people in Pakistan.
“I will tell you the general view of the Pakistani people — they want to see the Indian team in Pakistan,” he said.
“The people of Pakistan love India and their cricketers a lot and they respect them a lot. The way international cricket has returned to Pakistan in the last 7-8 years. Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Pat Cummins and other top stars of world cricket have played in Pakistan.
“The Pakistani people want the Indian team to come to Pakistan and they will get a lot of love there. They should come, everything is (going) very good. The whole tournament (Champions Trophy) is being organised well and everything is being held safely,” he said.
Ahmed said there is no difference between people in the port cities of Karachi and Mumbai.
“I think there is no difference. Our only problem is the line, our culture is the same. If you talk, I live in Karachi. The style of the people of Karachi and Mumbai is exactly the same,” he said.
“We also speak fast there. I also speak fast. So it’s all the same. I remember very well, in Delhi, I went to the old sadar (market) in 2007. The old sadar was just like the sadar in Karachi.
“I think there is no difference in things. People are the same. We just want that the Indian team comes to Pakistan so that our people can also see Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah playing in Pakistan,” he added.
