Legendary West Indies fast bowler Wesley Hall has tipped Virat Kohli as one of the greats of the modern game. Hall bowled to many great batters during his heydays and has also followed Kohli’s glorious career with all the interest.
Kohli has been a consistent performer for India in all three forms of the game and has bagged multiple records under his belt. The talisman has an insatiable hunger for runs and gives his 120% whenever he steps on the field.
However, Kohli has scored only five runs in three matches of the ongoing T20 World Cup and he will be determined to turn the tables in the Super 8 stage.
“You have come to practice and you have to see an old man,” Wesley Hall said while talking to Virat Kohli as quoted by PTI after presenting his autobiography.
“I have seen a lot of great players and you are one of them. I have followed your career and I hope you play for India for many more years,” said the 86-year-old.
Meanwhile, Hall also shed light on the poor health of Test cricket in the Caribbean. The former lanky pacer feels it is tough for the players to deny the big bucks of the IPL.
“Well, I would say that if your date is today, I’m not concerned. But if you told me two years ago, I was very concerned. And that’s what happens,” he said when asked about the state of the red-ball game in the region.
“You just need to get some players who will stick with you. I mean, at one time, we had some great players, but they weren’t playing Test cricket. But that’s the problem, you see.”
“If I am from the proletariat, I don’t have any money and somebody offered me a million dollars for four years, well then I could not really refuse it. So we have to sort of deal with it in such a way that it doesn’t happen every day,” said Hall.
Hall feels T20 cricket has helped the batters dominate the game, of which he isn’t a fan.
“Well, one has to be aware that things will change. Now we are wondering what’s happening, especially if you go into the area where you play the game of 20 overs. There are certain things that I wonder about.
“I just wonder why would batsmen be able to bat through the whole innings, the bowlers are restricted to four bowlers. I often ask that.”
India will begin their Super 8 campaign against Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on Thursday.