'Rohit Sharma cripples during captaincy; he panics': Shoaib Akhtar denigrates India captain; showers praise on MS Dhoni

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

World Cup, former players and cricket pundits have been putting forth their views on players and teams to keep the fans intrigued. Recently, former Pakistan quick Shoaib Akhtar shared his thoughts on Team India's skipper Rohit Sharma, highlighting that captaincy has been crippling the abilities of the Mumbai batter and that he «panics» under pressure. Akhtar had all praise for former India skipper MS Dhoni and said that he could handle the pressure so well.

In an interview on 'Backstage With Boria', Shoaib Akhtar said, «There was once a guy who would take the entire team’s pressure upon himself—that was Dhoni,» Akhtar quoted. «Only a captain can shield the entire team behind him. Rohit is a great guy, but he cripples during captaincy; he panics.

These might be harsh words, but I don’t think he should have taken up the captaincy,» he added. Akthar even said that Rohit Sharma is more talented than Virat Kohli, but he questioned his abilities as India captain, adding that the Mumbai Indian captain should reflect on his own style and leadership qualities. «Even Virat Kohli isn’t as talented as him,» Akhtar asserted.

«The timing he has and the shots he can play…he is a classical batter – but was he made for captaincy? I question myself most of the time. Does he react well in most of critical situations? I question myself. He should also be questioning it».

The World Cup, which will begin on October 5 and conclude on November 19, will feature a total of 10 teams. Before the mega-event, India and Pakistan will lock horns on September 2 in Kandy in the 2023 Asia Cup, scheduled to start on August 30. A total of 13 matches will be played in the Asia Cup, and Pakistan is grouped with India and Nepal in Group A, while Sri Lanka,