NEW DELHI: Having dominated world cricket for over a decade and a half, modern-day great Virat Kohli is widely regarded as the toughest batter to bowl to. But Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi thinks otherwise, despite Kohli's impressive record against the arch-rivals.
No Pakistani bowler has really troubled Kohli; in fact, the former India captain has enjoyed playing against them across formats, as the stats suggest. His two consecutive sixes off Haris Rauf during the 2022 T20 World Cup remain one of the most iconic moments in cricket history.
On the podcast Bricks to Riches, Shaheen was asked to name the toughest batter he has bowled to. While many expected him to say Kohli, the Pakistan pacer surprised everyone by choosing South African great Hashim Amla - a response that certainly raised a few eyebrows.
"Hashim Amla," he replied. "I've played Test matches and ODIs against him, and he's a tough competitor. I have also played a match against him in the Vitality Blast - a Twenty20 cricket tournament in England. I felt that he’s a very good batsman, and he is very good at what he does," he added.
When quizzed specifically about Kohli, Shaheen acknowledged the Indian star as a completely different kind of player, but insisted that Amla was the 'absolute toughest' he has ever bowled to.
"Virat Kohli is a different player, but Hashim bhai [brother], he's the toughest. Absolute toughest," he remarked.
At the international stage, Amla and Shaheen have shared some intriguing duels. In Tests, Amla has scored 31 runs off 63 deliveries against the left-arm pacer without being dismissed even once. However, in ODIs, Shaheen has dismissed the South African twice, though Amla still managed 40 runs from 41 balls at a healthy strike rate of 97.6.
