Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal urged India batting greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to visit Pakistan before they call time on their international careers.
Known for their match-winning performances and ability to shift the course of a game, both have a large fan base around the world, especially in Pakistan, despite not having played a single international match there.
Virat Kohli had visited Pakistan for a U19 tournament but has not played with the India senior team. Rohit Sharma hasn’t played a single match in Pakistan.
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal feels that Virat and Rohit, who have already bid adieu to T20Is, should visit Pakistan before retiring from international cricket. Pakistan is to host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but BCCI is yet to confirm whether India will travel to Pakistan or not.
"Virat and Rohit should visit Pakistan before they retire. These two are stars of world cricket, traveling across the globe to play the game. Every single fan loves them. They have a massive fan base due to their batting and match-winning performances. The fan following they will experience in Pakistan will surpass anything they’ve seen elsewhere,” Akmal told the Times of India.
India last visited Pakistan in 2008 for the Asia Cup. The last series between India and Pakistan was in 2012-13. Since then, the two teams have only faced off in multi-nation tournaments including the Asia Cup and ICC events. The lack of regular bilateral series has left supporters eager for the return of the enthralling India-Pakistan matches.
"Virat is a role model for many around the world, Rohit is the World Cup-winning captain, and Bumrah is currently the best pacer in the world. When players like Virat, Rohit, and Bumrah visit Pakistan, it will evoke unique feelings in every fan. Virat has been to Pakistan during his under-19 days, but he wasn’t as popular then," Akmal said.
"If Virat visits Pakistan now, he will truly see his popularity here. He will receive a different kind of support in Pakistan. No cricketer is more popular than Virat in Pakistan; he has a bigger fan following than any other cricketer in the world. Pakistani fans love Virat, Rohit, and Bumrah more than any of their cricket team players," the former wicketkeeper said.
Virat and Rohit will return to action in the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh.
The first Test will begin on September 19 in Chennai, followed by the second on September 27 at Kanpur's Green Park Stadium.
