Legendary England batter Kevin Pietersen believes that the demands for both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to retire are unjust and has urged the supporters to show empathy towards them. During the Australia tour, Kohli and Rohit both had difficulties; the former was removed eight times for deliveries outside the off-stump. The Indian skipper chose to drop himself for the final Test match in Sydney after scoring just 31 runs in 5 innings.
Kevin Pietersen on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
Due to their dismal performance, fans demanded that both batsmen retire from the Test format. Speaking at a promotional event, Pietersen said he was surprised at the fan calls and insisted that Rohit and Kohli both deserve greater respect.
"(It’s) unfair. How can you tell somebody who's scored as many runs as these guys, they must retire? Yes, it's a discussion and it's a topic I get it, I understand it, but they deserve more respect than that," said Pietersen, as quoted by PTI.
Pietersen, who experienced similar difficulties in his career, stated both Rohit and Kohli would occasionally have a low phase in their form and would not always be able to go out and score runs.
"Having had exactly the same challenges in my career, it happens. Rohit and Virat are not robots. They don't walk out there and get a hundred every time they bat. Maybe they had one bad Australian tour. Does that make them bad people? No. Does it make them bad cricketers? Absolutely not," he said.
Pietersen said people must realize that Rohit and Kohli are also people. The former batter further asserted that the positive vibes that Kohli and Rohit provided during their careers are more important than statistics and winning games.
"You guys need to understand, these guys are human beings. You give them bamboo now, but at the end of their careers, you look back and how did they make you feel when they played? They made people feel happy. It's not all about statistics. It's not all about winning and not about losing, and you finish your career like I did, people talk to me about how I made them feel when I played. A Virat makes people feel amazing. Rohit makes people feel amazing, so they should be celebrated, they get to 36, 37 or 38. I always feel those kinds of players should be celebrated," said Pietersen.