Respect Virat Kohli but don’t fear him, says Naseem Shah
Naseem Shah stated that although he has the utmost respect for Virat Kohli’s ability as a cricketer, he doesn’t fear him at all. The teenage sensation, who made his Test debut against Australia last year, has further added that India versus Pakistan is always special and he wants to be a part of it.
Pakistan’s 16-year-old fast bowler Naseem Shah became the youngest player to take a Test hat-trick and made quite a stir when cricket returned to Pakistan. He was incredibly lucky to have achieved the landmark in front of a home audience but the audacity with which he stayed up with the squad after losing his mother in Australia talked up his maturity. Now when he was asked about the prospect of bowling to Virat Kohli, he was quite sure that he wouldn’t be overawed by the occasion.
“Yes definitely. India versus Pakistan is always special and I have already been told that players can become heroes and villains in those matches. They are special matches as they happen so rarely and yes, I am looking forward to playing against India whenever that opportunity arises,” he told PakPassion.net.
“I hope that I can bowl well against India when that chance comes by and won’t let our fans down. As for Virat Kohli, I respect him but don’t fear him. It’s always a challenge to bowl to the best, but that’s where you have to raise your game. I look forward to playing against Virat Kohli and India whenever that chance comes,” he added.
Shah dismissed Najmul Hossain Shanto, Taijul Islam and Mahmudullah on the third day of the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi to become the youngest player to take a Test hat-trick. His phenomenon cut a fine celebration all over Pakistan for it came in the cricket-loving Pindi, the province from which Shah hails from. Shah stated that it was incredible in its own right.
“It was incredible. The best thing about it was that it was in my home country and in front of my countrymen at Rawalpindi. I know Pakistan has been starved of international cricket for many years and in a way, I hope it was a special moment for fans who were at the ground.
“I wasn’t too happy with the way I had bowled in the first innings in that Test match against Bangladesh, and I wanted to make amends for it in the second innings and that hat-trick definitely made me feel better. I just hope it’s the first of many records I can break during my career, but above all, it meant that I had helped Pakistan towards victory.”