No one should be compared to Sachin Tendulkar: Shahid Afridi

03/05/2016

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Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi chose to remain on the fence when asked to compare Virat Kohli and Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar. The 36-year-old expressed his admiration for Sachin, both as a cricketer and as a role model, and believes that no one should be compared with the Little Master.

Virat Kohli has faced this comparison since his rise to stardom with the national team, and his current record suggests that he has a realistic possibility of breaking the Master Blasters' record of the highest number of ODI centuries in the near future. Afridi praised his aggressive nature as a cricketer but stopped short of rating one over the other.

“I have said this before too - no one should be compared to Sachin Tendulkar. He has been a great role model for millions of Indians and for those who follow the sport across the world. Virat has been a champion player too. He has been consistent over the years and his aggressive nature is great for the game. Both are fantastic cricketers and I wouldn't put one above other,” Afridi told the Times of India when asked to compare Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar.

Pakistan failed to make it to the final of the Asia Cup after a disappointing loss to Bangladesh. However, they did manage to end their campaign on a positive note when they defeated Sri Lanka on Friday. Afridi was pleased with the performance and the fact that the reserve players were given a chance to prove themselves ahead of the upcoming World T20.

"We're good cricketers, just that we need to have more self-belief.

"We've backed players, we did not want to tamper too many things, but the selectors have done well to give everyone a sincere opportunity," he said.