In a nutshell

Hafeez defends having called Virat Kohli conceited.

In the 2023 World Cup, Hafeez criticizedVirat Kohli’s century against South Africa.

Virat Kohli scored 101(121) runs to stay undefeated.*

Muhammad Hafeez, a former cricket player for Pakistan, stands by his claim that Virat Kohli is self-centered following his century against South Africa in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Notably, after electing to bat first, Kohli produced an undefeated 101* off 121 balls, assisting his team in posting 326/5 in their 50 overs.
Hafeez, on the other hand, wasn’t impressed with Kohli’s effort and chastised the prominent Indian batsman for taking singles in the final overs to reach his century. Despite India’s commanding 243-run victory, Hafeez wasn’t thrilled with Kohli’s strategy.

After seven months, Hafeez reaffirmed his claim, saying that Kohli was more concerned with getting to 100 than with making big strokes in the last three overs.
In my view, it makes no difference who is participating. The goal of your play should always be to win the game. However, I can’t stand it if someone in the 90s is afraid to take huge shots. Why didn’t they play the identical shots at 95 or 92 if someone takes five balls to score 100 after reaching 95 and their intention changes after reaching 100? Hafeez stated on the Club Prayer Podcast, “I think the goal should always be to add the best possible value to your team’s victory.”

Kohli’s Disappointing 2024 T20 World Cup Performance

“In my opinion, Virat was not making big strokes and needed too many balls to reach his century. You may get what I mean if you go back and look over his century. Success as a team should take precedence over individual accomplishments. I don’t like scores of 50 and 100 if they don’t help the team win, as a cricket fan. “In the game of cricket, even one run can greatly influence the outcome,” he added.

With just five runs scored in three innings thus far in the 2024 T20 World Cup,Virat Kohli hasn’t been playing well. In his three innings as an opener in the T20 World Cup, Kohli has scored one run (four), three (3), and one (1). Consequently, on Thursday, June 20, when India kicks off their Super 8 campaign against Afghanistan in Barbados, the right-handed batsman will be itching to get some runs.

During the ICC ODI World Cup, former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez defended his remarks from the previous year, in which he described Virat Kohli as “selfish.” Hafeez questioned Kohli’s innings of 101 off 121 balls against South Africa, claiming that Kohli put his own goals ahead of the team’s triumph. According to Hafeez, players should constantly strive to help the team succeed.

Hafeez restated his position while appearing on the Club Prayer Fire Podcast, adding, “If you take the entire context into consideration, I think I was right at that time.
From my perspective, the identity of the players is irrelevant. You should always play with the intention of winning the game in mind. However, I can’t stand it if someone in the 90s is afraid to take huge shots. Why didn’t they play the same shots at 95 or 92 if someone needs five balls to achieve 100 after 95 and their goal changes after that? The goal should, in my opinion, always be the same: to maximize the worth of your team’s triumph.”

The Indian Team

“In my opinion, Virat was not making big strokes and needed too many balls to reach his century. You may get what I mean if you go back and look over his century. Success as a team should take precedence over individual accomplishments. I don’t like scores of 50 and 100 if they don’t help the team win, as a cricket fan. In cricket, a single run can have a significant impact, according to Hafeez.

Kohli is now getting ready for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match in the Caribbean Super 8s against Afghanistan. His recent results in the competition have been lackluster, with 1, 4, and 0 scores, raising questions about his form. With the competition shifting from the United States to the Caribbean, Kohli will be looking for luck to change.

Key Points in the Narrative

Hafeez stirred some controversy when he referred to Indian batsman Virat Kohli as “selfish” during India’s 243-run victory over South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, when Kohli amassed an undefeated 101. After nearly seven months, Hafeez has reaffirmed his claim.

Once more, former Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Hafeez branded Indian batsmen Virat Kohli and KL Rahul as “selfish” for using the 50-over match to pursue personal goals.