New Delhi: Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram feels the appointment of Virat Kohli as India’s vice-captain for the Asia Cup will “hurt” senior players such as Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir.
Kohli was on Wednesday named M S Dhoni’s deputy for the upcoming tournament, to be held in Bangladesh and Akram feels seniors players won’t be happy as they were eyeing captaincy.
“It is a tough job to be India’s vice-captain. I feel senior players like Sehwag and Gambhir will not be happy with this. Kohli has showed his true potential on this Australian tour and emerged as a candidate for vice-captaincy.
“The Indian selectors are probably thinking about the 2015 World Cup and if Dhoni is unfit before that, Kohli would be the right man to replace him. But, this will definitely leave Sehwag and Gambhir hurt as they were waiting for captaincy,” Akram was quoted as saying by espnstar.com.
Akram had recently stated that Kohli needed “at least five years more” to become the Indian cricket team’s leader.
Even as Kohli was made vice-captain after his heroic knock against Sri Lanka in the CB series, Sehwag was ‘rested’, according to selection committee chairman Kris Srikkanth.
“Maybe the Indian selectors are not bold enough to drop a player like Sehwag. I do not think this is the right attitude. Until and unless you drop someone, how will the hunger to do well and make it back into the team be visible in a player?
“The concept of ‘resting’ an out-of-form player never made sense to me and it baffles me again. A player plays or he is dropped, it’s simple,” Akram said.
The legendary pacer said that Sachin Tendulkar should look to score his 100th international century during the Asia Cup and then quit the 50-over format.
“He should then play Test cricket in a relaxed manner.” (PTI)
