‘That’s so rude, please do it again’ – Fans react as ex-England skipper blasts Mohammad Hafeez’s ‘Selfish’ remarks for Virat Kohli

The modern-day great cricket superstar Virat Kohli’s remarkable form with the bat continues to dominate the headlines in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. The former Indian cricket team captain played an unbeaten century knock in a high-stakes match against South Africa, which helped him to equal a significant record. 

Kohli’s century marked his 49th ODI hundred, putting him on par with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s record. Kohli’s feat in the match against South Africa was particularly noteworthy because he achieved it on a challenging pitch that posed difficulties for batting. His century under these circumstances drew praise from cricket legends globally, who hailed his exceptional skill and temperament.

However, former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez voiced a different perspective. Hafeez controversially criticized Kohli’s innings, labelling it as ‘selfish’ due to Kohli’s approach towards the end of the Indian innings. According to Hafeez, Kohli opted for singles instead of aggressively pursuing boundaries to complete his century, suggesting that this behaviour was self-serving rather than team-oriented.

“I saw a 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. Rohit Sharma could have played selfish cricket too, but he didn’t because he is playing for Team India and not for himself,” Hafeez was quoted as saying by India Today.

This is utter nonsense: Michael Vaughan on Hafeez’s statement

Meanwhile, in a surprising turn of events, former England captain and batter, Michael Vaughan, who is often seen criticising the Indian team, vehemently disagreed with Hafeez’s assessment. Vaughan took to social media to denounce Hafeez’s comments as ‘nonsense’ and defended Kohli’s batting style, emphasizing the team’s overall objective.

“Come on @MHafeez22 !!! India have hammered 8 teams playing great cricket .. @imVkohli now has 49 tons and his last was an anchor role innings on a tricky pitch .. His team won by over 200 !!!! This is utter nonsense.. #CWC2023 #India #Pakistan.” he tweeted.

Here’s how fans reacted:

https://twitter.com/imsachinyadav1/status/1721721087866830908