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Former England captain Michael Vaughan has slammed ex-Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez for his recent comments on Virat Kohli. After Kohli equaled Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries, Hafeez said that Kohli seemed selfish and he played for his individual record during the World Cup game against South Africa.
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Hafeez made the comments on the Top Cricket Analysis show, where he stated, “I saw a sense of selfishness in Virat Kohli’s batting, and this happened for the third time in this World Cup. In the 49th over, he appeared to prioritise reaching his century over the team’s needs. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, could have chosen a more selfish approach but didn’t because he plays for Team India, not for personal milestones.”
However, Hafeez’s remarks did not go down well with Vaughan who argued that Kohli played and adapted superbly on a tricky surface where the ball was not coming on to the bat. Vaughan said that Kohli played the perfect anchor role during his innings.
Sharing his take on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Vaughan wrote, “Come on Mohammad Hafeez, India have hammered eight teams playing great cricket. Virat Kohli now has 49 tons and his last was an anchor role innings on a tricky pitch. His team won by over 200! This is utter nonsense. Cricket World Cup 2023 #India #Pakistan.”
Come on @MHafeez22 !!! India have hammered 8 teams playing great cricket .. @imVkohli now has 49 tons and his last was an anchor role innings on a tricky pitch .. His team won by over 200 !!!! This is utter nonsense .. #CWC2023 #India #Pakistan https://t.co/Foh3hhz3RE
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 7, 2023
In that game, Kohli displayed exceptional resilience, having remained unbeaten on 101 from 121 balls on a challenging Eden Gardens pitch. He played a key role in guiding India to a competitive total of 326.
Former India fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad also weighed in on this knock and he defended Kohli’s innings. Prasad spoke highly about Kohli’s commitment. He said that if Kohli was indeed selfish, it was because he wanted to fulfill the dreams of millions in the country.
“Yes Kohli is selfish, selfish enough to follow the dream of a billion people, selfish enough to strive for excellence even after achieving so much, selfish enough to set new benchmarks, selfish enough to ensure his team wins. Yes, Kohli is selfish,” Prasad wrote on X.
Hearing funny arguments about Virat Kohli being Selfish and obsessed with personal milestone.
Yes Kohli is selfish, selfish enough to follow the dream of a billion people, selfish enough to strive for excellence even after achieving so much, selfish enough to set new benchmarks,… pic.twitter.com/l5RZRf7dNx
— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) November 6, 2023
Kohli currently finds himself at second spot on the list of highest run scorers at the World Cup. In his next World Cup outing, Kohli will be up against the Netherlands on 12 November.
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