Here's what Shoaib Akhtar said on Virat Kohli's captaincy
What's the story
Indian captain Virat Kohli has been making headlines of late, especially in the Test format, having led his team to a successful stint so far. Not just that they are the number one team in the format, they are currently also unbeaten in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship. Meanwhile, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar heaped praise on Kohli's splendid captaincy. Here is more.
Still learning
Kohli continues to learn from his mistakes, feels Akhtar
Akhtar opined that he had a feeling that Kohli would become a good captain, especially following the ICC World Cup 2019, as he continues to learn from his mistakes. He also rated him as the best and the fearless captain in the world currently. "The thing I like about Virat Kohli is that he is a fearless captain.," said Akhtar on his YouTube channel.
Quote
He is not worried about his personal runs: Akhtar
"He is not worried about his personal runs. His attitude on the pitch was fantastic after scoring 254*. He put his country ahead of him by declaring. That's what really matters. That's what I like about Virat Kohli," added Akhtar.
Test captaincy records
Records held by Kohli as Test captain
Following are some of the records held by Kohli as Test captain: Scoring 1,000 runs in three consecutive calendar years (2016-18). Has scored the most double hundreds as Test skipper (7). Has the most Test wins as Indian captain (30). Is the most successful away Test skipper for India (13 wins). Has the most Test wins as Indian captain outside Asia (8).
Average Faf
Akhtar rates Faf du Plessis as an 'average captain'
Switching gears to South Africa, Akhtar expressed his disappointment for the side, besides rating Faf du Plessis as an average captain, and also questioning his decisions and tactics. "They have no good spinner in the team, how will you win against India? His tactics in the series have also failed in terms of bowling changes," he said.
Faf's captaincy
Performance of Faf Du Plessis as captain
Faf du Plessis, as the captain of Proteas, has managed moderate success. In 31 Tests, he has won 17, with 11 loses. As for ODIs, he has led in 39 matches and has managed 28 wins, along with 10 loses, while in T20Is, he has led in 40 games, registering 24 wins and 15 loses.
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Akhtar calls for more improvements in the Test format
"Pakistan are down, South Africa are down, West Indies are down and so is Bangladesh. Then who is going to play Test cricket? We need to save Test matches and bring more improvement in the format," he concluded.