Virat Kohli is selfish: Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has his say, Wahab Riaz and Rashid Latif react

Despite contributing significantly to India's victories over the years, Virat Kohli has been branded as "selfish" during the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023. This label emerged due to his approach of playing deep into the innings and in that process also achieving personal milestones.

Following India's dominant performance against South Africa in their previous game, where Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill provided a fiery start and Kohli, along with Shreyas Iyer, built a substantial partnership, fans expressed discontent with Kohli's batting style. 

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During the post-match presentation, both Kohli and Iyer mentioned that the team management had advised them to adopt a slower approach and navigate the tricky pitch conditions at Eden Gardens. However, many fans were disappointed as they were expecting a faster-paced game, similar to the start that they had received.

Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez shared similar sentiments during a discussion on the cricket show 'Top Cricket Analysis.' Hafeez characterized Kohli's innings as "selfish" and drew a comparison with the India captain's brisk 24-ball 40 in a previous game.

"I saw a sense of selfishness in Virat Kohli’s batting and this happened for the third time in this World Cup. In the 49th over, he was looking to take a single to reach his own hundred and he didn’t put the team first," he said.

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"Rohit Sharma could have played selfish cricket too, but he didn’t because he is playing for Team India and not for himself. You have to give credit to Rohit Sharma. The way he is sacrificing his innings with the right intent is commendable. The way he batted in the first six overs. He gave that sucker punch to South Africa. He knew the pitch would get difficult and must attack when the ball was new and hard. Your captain can also play like you but his goal is bigger than his personal achievement. Rohit can also hit centuries.

"I am not saying Virat didn't play well. He batted beautifully till he reached 97. The last three singles, he took, I am talking about the intent. He was looking for singles instead of hitting boundaries. Who cares if he gets out on 97 or 99? The team should always be above personal milestones," he added.

While Hafeez expressed his opinion, former Pakistan cricketers Wahab Riaz and Rashid Latif vehemently disagreed with his assessment.

"I disagree. The role is defined differently. Virat’s role is to take the game deep. In the last eight overs, India scored 75 runs. Surya and Jadeja played fast but Kohli made sure that he was there at the other end. if Kohli had got out, we would have not seen those two cameos and India might not have crossed the 300-run mark," said Riaz.

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"We talk about role identification. Rohit and Shubman are going all guns blazing up front. Then Virat plays the sheet anchor role, taking the game deep. If Rohit and Shubman get out early, Shreyas’ will be the aggressor, and Kohli and KL Rahul will bat through. It is very clear. Yes Kohli batted slowly but if not for him, India would not have posted 326," he added.

Latif said: "His role is to stay there. No matter how many balls he is facing. You see the partnerships, he has played the second fiddle but that’s his role. The others bat around him."