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Pakistan's out-of-form batter Ahmed Shehzad has lauded India's star batter Virat Kohli for his commitment to the game and the fitness level he maintains. Shehzad also opened on him getting compared to Kohli on the basis of looks and at times his batting style.
"As far as looks are concerned, it is fine, but comparing me with him in terms of game would have been wrong. No one can be compared with Kohli. He is a legend of this game. He has entertained people all over the world with his batting," Shehzad said in an exclusive interaction with Sports Tak.
"The kind of life he lives, the way he eats and drinks, show someone doing that. Despite so much performance, the amount of criticism he is subjected to, show someone being as professional as he is. There is no comparison to him," he added.
Shehzad criticised Pakistan fast bowlers' fitness and their inability to perform at international level in past few years. He wants them to take notes from Kohli who was running fast even after being a 36-year-old cricketer.
"Haris Rauf performed in patches in Australia. He performed well in Australia, but his performance has been very poor for the last two and a half years. He has not given any match winning performance. There were a lot of expectations from Naseem Shah as well. It is very sad to see how poor the fitness of these players is. They have a paunch and double chin. These are all their own mistakes. Look at Virat Kohli's fitness. How he was running in the last match. He is 36 years old, no one is faster than him," the 33-year-old added.
Shehzad's long absence from Pakistan squad
Shehzad has not played for Pakistan since 2019. He has not played domestic cricket since May 2024 either. He has often alleged selectors of favouritism. His last appearance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was in 2020/21 season.
He has been critical of Pakistan's approach and squad selection. The Mohammad Rizwan-led side has been knocked out of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and will face Bangladesh in a dead rubber game on February 27 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
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