"Told Anushka Sharma that I think Virat is making a mistake by being the captain," says Shoaib Akhtar

Former Pakistan quick Shoaib Akhtar was rich in his praise for India skipper Virat Kohli for instilling aggression in his fast bowlers and for changing the mentality of Indian cricket.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Akhtar shared his thoughts on India's evolved pace attack over the last few years. He said,

"I think Virat (Kohli) has done a wonderful job as a captain. I said it to Anushka Sharma in a Sony show- “I think Virat is making a mistake by being a captain. I knew there was a tremendous amount of pressure on him and it would bog him down. In a country like India with a population of a billion, there are around 20,000 TV sets and channels, enough to slam him. In my mind, I was thinking, “he’s a young kid, let him score runs and play his game.”

You can watch the full interview here:

"He wants to see aggression in his fast bowlers"- Shoaib Akhtar

In a way, the 45-year-old was glad to be proved wrong. In the interview, he credited Kohli for instilling the aggression a tearaway pacer needed. He said,

"He [Kohli] took up that challenge of being a skipper. He took it on and made sure that his replica was instilled within the fast bowlers."

He wants to see his aggression in his fast bowlers. He’s not actually a Virat Kohli on the field, he is a fast bowler running in the form of an Ishant Sharma or a Bhuvneshwar Kumar or [Mohammed] Shami."- Shoaib Akhtar

As a bowling unit, Virat wants his bowlers to take twenty wickets and has changed the mentality of Indian cricket.

Shoaib Akhtar was undoubtedly one of the fastest bowlers in international cricket and his 178 Test wickets and 247 ODI scalps are a testament to what he achieved when he was in his prime.

Known for his ferocious pace, intense aggression, and his ability to provide regular breakthroughs at any point in the game, he was often seen as the main threat by the opposition. He headlined sports pages across the world for bowling a delivery at 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph), in an ODI against England during the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

Shoaib Akhtar was nicknamed the "Rawalpindi Express" for his breakneck speed. He was also the first bowler to be recorded bowling at 100 miles per hour, and did so twice during his career.