India and Pakistan are set to meet on the cricket field for the first time since their clash in the 2019 ODI World Cup at Old Trafford. The two teams will square off on October 24 in the ICC T20 World Cup in Dubai.
Ahead of the high-voltage encounter, former speedster Shoaib Akhtar has showered rich praise on Team India, saying that cricket fans in Pakistan are fond of a number of Indian batters.
According to Shoaib, Pakistanis admire Virat Kohli and consider Rohit Sharma the ‘Inzamam-Ul-Haq of India’ while other Indian batters also get appreciated across the border.
"Today, there are no Pakistanis who say that India does not have a good team. They appreciate it openly. They consider Virat Kohli is great player and Rohit Sharma even greater. People here in Pakistan say, 'he is the Inzamam-Ul-Haq of India'. People appreciate Rishabh Pant, for the way he had played in Australia. Then there is Suryakumar Yadav. He is being appreciated too. So, Pakistan holds a very good narrative about India," he told Zee News.
Shoaib Akhtar, who is known for being an outspoken person, also reacted to the claims that he praises Indian team on his Youtube channel to make money.
"If you look at my videos, they are not on the ground of hate. I believe that as a former cricketer, a brand ambassador and as a human being, that my comments should be balanced. People say that the comments I make is to make money. That is not true. I have so many fans in India. I am a lucky Pakistani who Indian love so much. There is no doubt about that. I don't want to hurt their sentiments or mine," Akhtar said.
Before the Super 12s clash, India and Pakistan played two warm-up games each. While the Virat Kohli-led India team defeated both England and Australia, the Babar Azam-led Pakistan side lost to South Africa after beating defending T20 champions West Indies.
