In a recent conversation on the Club Prairie Fire podcast, former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez reiterated his earlier criticism of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, whom he had labelled as selfish during the ODI World Cup 2023. Speaking alongside former cricketers Michael Vaughan and Adam Gilchrist, Hafeez stood by his initial statement, emphasizing that his remarks were grounded in his belief about the intentions and priorities a player should have during a match.
“I think I was right that time. If you look at the whole context, to me, no matter who is playing, your intention should always be to win the game. To me, your intent should always remain the same: to do whatever’s the best way you can add value to the team,” Hafeez asserted.
Elaborating on his point, Hafeez criticized Kohli for his cautious approach when nearing personal milestones, saying, “If someone stops himself from playing big shots in the 90s, I will never take it. After 95, if someone is taking five balls to get to his hundred, and if his intention changes after the hundred… why couldn’t he play the same shot when he was on 95 or 92?”
Hafeez continued, “Because to me, your intent should always remain the same to do the best possible way to add that value to your team. In that game, I felt Virat took a lot of balls to get to his hundred, and he was not playing big shots.”
He urged cricket fans to review Kohli’s century with a critical eye, suggesting that personal milestones should not overshadow the team’s objectives. “To me, personal milestones should go away from cricket. We don’t want to watch your 50, 100 or a 5-wicket if that is not on the winning cause because, in the game of cricket, even one run matters the most.”
Highlighting a specific instance from the World Cup, Hafeez mentioned, “I saw a sense of selfishness in Virat Kohli’s batting, which happened for the third time in this World Cup. In the 49th over, he was looking to take a single to reach his own hundred, but he didn’t put the team first.”
Hafeez had originally made these comments on a cricket show, Top Cricket Analysis, during the World Cup, and his reaffirmation on the Club Prairie Fire podcast has reignited discussions among cricket enthusiasts.
