Former Pakistan skipper Mohammad Hafeez had created quite a stir in the cricket fraternity last year by calling India’s star batter Virat Kohli ‘selfish’ in approaching his 49th ODI century during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match against South Africa at the Eden Gardens.

“I saw sense of selfishness in Virat Kohli’s batting and this 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 and he didn’t put the team first,” Hafeez had said while speaking on PTV Sports.

Seven months later, Hafeez maintained his stance on that Kohli knock (101* off 121 balls), claiming that the latter Kohli avoided playing big shots as he neared the milestone which helped him draw level with the then all-time record for most ODI centuries held by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

During a chat with Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan on YouTube channel Club Prairie Fire, Hafeez opined that individual milestones should have no place in cricket.

“I was right that time. If you see the whole context, you will know. To me, no matter whoever is playing, your intention, your way of playing should always be (aimed) towards winning the game,” Hafeez said.

“But if someone is stopping himself from playing big shot in the 90s, I will never take it. On 95, if someone is taking five balls to get to his 100 and not thinking that if maybe on those three or four balls, if I can hit (big shot)… If my intentions get changed after scoring 100, why I cannot play that same shot when I was on 95? Or on 92? Because to me, your intent should always remain the same – do whatever possible to add value to your team and get them to a winning position,” he added.

In that World Cup 2023 game against South Africa, Kohli had consumed nine deliveries after scoring his 90th run to get to century. He also smashed a boundary when on 93 during the match, which India won by 243 runs.

“I felt in that game Virat took a lot of balls to get to his 100 and he was not playing big shots. If you watch his century again, maybe you will realize what I was saying. For me, personal milestones should go away from cricket. Your 50s, your 100s, your 5 wickets – as fan of cricket we don’t want to watch these kind of 50s and hundreds if they are not in a winning cause. In the game of cricket, even one run matters,” Hafeez stated.

The ex-Pakistan all-rounder also acknowledged that he may have been selfish on occasions but it should not be part of modern cricket.

“This is the way to play international cricket, this is the way to represent your country and give you 100% shot whatever best possible way you can. If someone can play the same shot after scoring a century and cannot play that same shot when in 90s or 91 or 93, it doesn’t give me the right understanding. I must have done that in my career. I’m also one of the player developed the same way. Unfortunately, if that is the case, the modern day of cricket does not require that. Your milestone will not be cherished that much as much we cherish victory of the team,” he said.

Hafeez then cited the example of another Indian batter KL Rahul, who was visibly dejected after missing out on a chance to complete his century in his team’s World Cup 2023 opener against Australia.

India needed five runs to the seal the chase and Rahul, batting on 91, slammed an unintentional six over extra cover to remain unbeaten on 97.

“In that particular tournament KL Rahul played an absolutely fantastic shot toward his extra cover and finished the game off and he was not happy that India won the game but was unhappy because he couldn’t get that chance to get his own 100. To me this is selfish approach and then the same thing happened when Virat Kohli did the same thing,” Hafeez said.

“He (Kohli) was more into his hundred rather than adding more value to the team’s cause. I know at the end they won by more than 200 runs. It doesn’t make any different if your own way of approaching towards the game of cricket is not right. If you think your milestone is bigger than the team’s victory, I’m sorry I will never take that,” he further remarked.