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Cricket Players'This team looks broken and shattered': Akhtar believes Kohli resigning has affected India, says 'I see a lot of unrest'
Virat Kohli's decision to step down as India's Test captain came as a surprise to many, with several former cricketers expressing their desire to see him carry on for maybe another couple of years. But Akhtar, who foresaw this decision coming, remains an exception.
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has made a startling revelation, saying that he was informed by a few Indian journalists about Virat Kohli's impending decision to step down as Test captain. Kohli, who had stepped down as India's T20I captain and was later removed as ODI skipper, announced last Saturday that he was stepping down from Test captaincy as well. The development came as a surprise to many, with several former cricketers expressing their desire to see Kohli carry on for maybe another couple of years. But Akhtar, who foresaw this decision coming, remains an exception.
"The Indian team is standing at a pinnacle point at the moment. They have to go ahead and move past everything. But I want to talk about the fiasco surrounding Virat Kohli and his captaincy. When I was in Dubai, some journalists from India, who are my friends, had informed me exactly what was going to happen with Kohli. I thought that he might continue as Test captain but it happened just as my friends from India had told me. I will not take their names. They had told me that Virat might be forced to leave India's Test captaincy," Akhtar said on his YouTube channel.
With India losing the Test series 1-2 and then going on to endure a 0-3 whitewash in ODIs, the second time it has happened since 2020, Akhtar smells rift in the team based on the kind of performances India have delivered in South Africa. Crediting former coach Ravi Shastri and ex captain Kohli for their hard work to take the team to such unprecedented heights, Akhtar believes the new management needs to make sure they get rid of the issues that may be affecting players inside the change room.
"Ravi Shastri did a great job as coach. India needed a father figure and he performed that role with perfection. Now, Shastri and Kohli, who were part of the management, are out. So that fact that India have collapsed in terms of performances, what does it demonstrate? Is there a divide in the team? Are they not playing together for the country? These are questions that have no answer. A rift is visible in this team and it will be interesting to see what the management does to get rid of it." he mentioned.
"The performances that India have dished out doesn't convince me that players are playing together. This team looks broken and shattered. The moment Kohli stepped down as captain, India just don't seem to be performing. I see a lot of unrest. Indian cricket is at a delicate position. I feel they need to come together and to make sure that the players, BCCI and coach need to be on the same page."
