Shaheen Afridi Snubs Virat Kohli! Pakistan Pacer Names Hashim Amla ‘Toughest Batter To Bowl To’ (Source: AFP)
Amla, now retired, was one of the greats of the game and ended his career with 18672 runs across formats with the help of 55 centuries and 80 fifties.
Shaheen, while speaking at a podcast, Bricks to Riches, had no hesitation in naming Amla as his toughest batting opponent.
“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.
‘Virat Kohli is A Different Player, But Amla Is Toughest’
During Shaheen’s peak, his rivalry with Virat Kohli grabbed the headlines; thus, when Afridi picked Amla as the toughest batter, the host asked him if Amla was better than Kohli. Afridi said that Kohli was a different player, but Amla was the toughest to bowl to.
“Virat Kohli is a different player, but Hashim bhai [brother]he’s the toughest. Absolute toughest,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, Afridi returned to the T20I side for the Asia Cup and will be one of the main players of the side as they look to come out of a slump and win a rare multination event. Pakistan are clubbed with India, UAE, and Oman in group A. Pakistan’s recent form hasn’t been great, and they lost a T20I series to Bangladesh. They were also hammered by Afghanistan in the ongoing tri-series, and even the UAE put them under pressure in a recent clash.