England legend Kevin Pietersen has urged critics to show respect to Indian batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have faced heavy scrutiny in recent months over their below-par form with the bat. The former England skipper believes the calls for Kohli and Rohit to retire are unfair, calling for fans to show empathy towards them. Both players struggled during the home series against New Zealand and then the Australia tour as well
Virat Kohli’s longstanding weakness resurfaced during the Australia tour, as he was dismissed eight times chasing deliveries outside the off-stump. Meanwhile, Indian captain Rohit Sharma struggled, scoring just 31 runs in five innings before choosing to sit out the final Test in Sydney.
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‘They Deserve More Respect’ Says Pietersen Of Kohli, Rohit
Amid ongoing struggles with the bat, speculation about Kohli and Rohit’s retirement has been rife. However, speaking at a promotional event, Kevin Pietersen expressed surprise at such calls from fans and insisted that both players deserve more respect.
“(It’s) unfair. How can you tell somebody who’s scored as many runs as these guys, they must retire? Yes, it’s a discussion and it’s a topic I get it, I understand it, but they deserve more respect than that,” said Pietersen, as quoted by PTI.
Bad Form Doesn’t Make Them Bad Cricketers: Pietersen
Pietersen stated that every player goes through such tough phases in their career and Virat and Rohit ‘are not robots.’
“Having had exactly the same challenges in my career, it happens. Rohit and Virat are not robots. They don’t walk out there and get a hundred every time they bat. Maybe they had one bad Australian tour. Does that make them bad people? No. Does it make them bad cricketers? Absolutely not,” he said.
“You guys need to understand, these guys are human beings. You give them bamboo now, but at the end of their careers, you look back and how did they make you feel when they played? They made people feel happy. It’s not all about statistics. It’s not all about winning and not about losing, and you finish your career like I did, people talk to me about how I made them feel when I played. A Virat makes people feel amazing. Rohit makes people feel amazing, so they should be celebrated, they get to 36, 37 or 38. I always feel those kinds of players should be celebrated,” said Pietersen.
