AUS v IND 2018-19: Australia's co-captain Archie Schiller names Virat Kohli as the best batsman in the world

Seven-year-old Schiller has been hitting the headlines since being named the co-captain of the Australian team for the Boxing Day Test.

Archie Schiller is presented with his baggy green cap by Nathan Lyon | Getty

Seven-year-old Australian leg-spinner Archie Schiller has been grabbing the headlines since being named the co-captain of the Australian side for the Boxing Day Test against India.

Schiller, who received the Baggy Green from Nathan Lyon in Melbourne, has undergone multiple major surgeries after being diagnosed with a rare heart condition when he was just three months old. All thanks to the NGO Make-a-Wish Australia and Cricket Australia, the cricket crazy kid is living a dream.

In an exclusive interview with Mumbai Mirror, Archie named India captain Virat Kohli as the best batsman in the world and also suggested that Tim Paine should have batted if he won the toss.

When asked which Indian wicket he would want to take if he gets to bowl, Schiller replied, “Virat Kohli”. He justified his answer saying, “Because he is the best batsman in the world”.

As a captain, Archie would have loved to bat after winning the toss, something that Kohli did. Explaining his reason, Schiller said: “My dad says that if you win the toss, you should always bat first and get runs on the board.”

He also revealed the reaction of his friends over his inclusion in the Australian team in a single word: “Jealous”.

Archie Schiller’s father Damien was sitting alongside him as he shared the emotions surrounding his son's medical condition and this stint with the Australian cricket team.

“We have had a roller-coaster ride in terms of his heart condition. He had an open-heart surgery and we didn’t know what the future holds for him. But he is doing really well right now. He really is putting a smile on everyone’s face. Oh, he loves cricket. He is a character. He loves it. The team also has been very accepting of him and letting him do what he wants to. So, it has just been amazing. He is loving all the limelight. He is having a ball," Damien said.

Schiller had also trained with the Aussie squad during a training session at the Adelaide Oval earlier this month.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 27 Dec, 2018

    Share Via