Muscat (Oman):Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has said that he was in Virat Kohli's place then he would not have married as he would have liked to focus on his cricket. "I do not know what is right, what is wrong. It has all happened, now how to go ahead from here matters. Kohli has the bat, he does not want to be dropped from the team. Performance pressure will be there on him, I wanted him to score 120 tons and not become the captain and I did not want him to get married," Akhtar told ANI in an exclusive interview.
"If I was in India and was a fast-bowler, I would not have married. I would have focused on my cricket, this is my thinking. It was Kohli's personal decision. If you asked me, I would have focused on my cricket," he added. Akhtar also stated that Virat Kohli was forced to leave the captaincy of India. Last year, Kohli had stepped down as the T20I captain and then he was removed as the ODI leader as the selectors wanted one skipper for the white-ball format. Kohli then stepped down as India's Test captain after leading the side for seven years.
Akhtar who is currently participating in the Legends League Cricket, while talking to ANI said: "Virat didn't leave captaincy but was forced to do so. This is not the best of times for him but he needs to prove what he is made of. Is he made of steel or iron? He is a great guy and a cricketer. Do not try too many things, just go out there and play cricket. He is a great batsman and has achieved more than anyone else in the world. He just needs to go out there and play with his natural flow."
"He plays a lot with his bottom hand and I think when the form is out, bottom hand players usually are the first ones to get in trouble. I think he's gonna come out of this. He should move forward from this and not keep any bitterness against anyone. Just forgive everybody and keep moving," he added.