During the World Cup 2023, former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez had called the Indian batter Virat Kohli ‘selfish’, when the batting maestro scored his 49th century. Kohli became the second batter after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar to accumulate 49 centuries in the format.
Kohli scored an unbeaten 101 off 121 balls against South Africa in group stage match of the ODI World Cup 2023 at the iconic Eden Gardens on November 5, 2023. He smashed 10 fours in his innings.
Hafeez called Kohli ‘selfish’ which caused a stir among fans and experts. He said, “Virat Kohli’s batting displayed selfishness during this World Cup, especially in the 49th over. Instead of prioritizing the team’s needs, Kohli was focused on reaching his own century,”
Recently the former allrounder appeared on the Club Prairie Fire podcast which features Australian legend Adam Gilchrist, former England skipper Michael Vaughan. He clarified that Virat’s measured approach in the match was not a sign of a team player.
“I believe I was correct at that time. No matter who is batting, you should always show intent to go for the win. If someone is showing restraint especially in the nineties, I don’t find it right. If you are on 95 and you take more than 5 deliveries to get to the century and not going for the big shot, it’s really sad,” Hafeez explained.
“If you start firing after the hundred, why did the intention suddenly change. Why didn’t you go for the big hit on 95. No matter what your individual score is your intention must not change, a big hit would benefit your team” he added.
“In my opinion, Virat took a lot of time to reach his hundred in that game. You can check the match proceedings. To me, personal milestones have no place, people will not watch your 50, 100 or a 5-wicket haul if it’s in a losing cause. In this sport, every run matters,” he remarked.
Gilchrist asked about the reaction from Indian fans, Hafez bluntly responded, “I really don’t care about it.”
Kohli has had a dismal ICC T20 World Cup 2024 outing as he scored 5 runs in 3 games.
