Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur believes India’s Virat Kohli is currently the best batsman in the world and has used him as an example to inspire the players in his side.
Kohli is currently ranked as the No1 batsman in both the ODI and the Test formats and has continued his stellar form of late into 2018. The India skipper recently notched up his 24th ton in the first Test against the West Indies to move past Australia’s Steve Smith who is currently serving an international ban.
While speaking to Telegraph India, Arthur praised Kohli’s dedication to his craft and his desire to improve himself constantly.
“Virat’s hunger and desire to be the best sets him apart from the rest. Everything Virat does is almost fanatical. The way he lives his life, trains and plays his cricket. For Virat, it’s about becoming the best he can be. I have used Virat as an example for my players. The way he changed his lifestyle, the accent on fitness. I have enjoyed watching Virat grow as a cricketer,” the South African stated.
Arthur wants Pakistan’s players to take a cue from Kohli.
“Virat’s the best in the world. Purely as somebody passionate about cricket, he’s one of three batsmen I’d pay a lot of money to watch — AB de Villiers and David Warner being the other two. AB has retired completely from international cricket and Warner is currently ineligible to play for Australia. So, Virat’s the only one playing international cricket and that too all three formats. Kane Williamson, I should add, is in the same league,” he added.
When asked to give his thoughts on the IPL continuing to shun Pakistan players, Arthur replied, “I’ll only say that the likes of Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Amir, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan would bring good value to the IPL.”
The 50-year-old also credited the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for significantly impacting the quality of players coming though the country’s setup.
“The PSL has allowed us to look at a wider pool of cricketers and they’ve been getting used to handling situations of pressure in front of big crowds. The domestic players are learning from their overseas teammates. It’s a win-win situation,” Arthur explained.
Arthur’s men are currently locked in battle with Australia in the first Test of the two-match series at Dubai.
