Virat Kohli should not be criticised for his aggression: CAC chief Madan Lal
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Madan Lal has said that people shouldn’t criticise Kohli’s aggression as Team India needed an attacking approach to turn the tables in modern cricket.
World Cup-winner and the chief of BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee, Madan Lal has heaped praise on Virat Kohli for changing the culture of the Indian cricket team as the former speedster said that no other captain has backed pacers like the current captain of the Men in Blue.
Lal, while speaking on show Pit Stop, said Sunil Gavaskar was the one who brought the culture of encouraging pace bowlers but the way Kohli has taken the charge in terms of building a world-class pace attack has been ‘unbelievable’
The former pacer, who took the wicket of Sir Vivian Richards in the 1983 World Cup final, further said that Kohli’s Team India is going to win more matches in the future because of the sheer depth in the pace department.
"The way Virat Kohli encouraged the pacers, no other captain has done it. I can bet on this. When you have a good pace attack. Going back 15-20 years, India did not win these many matches. Now you're winning it because of the pace attack," Madan Lal said.
"Kohli knows that if his pace attack is good, he has more chances of helping the team win.
"I think this culture of encouraging pace bowlers was started by Sunil Gavaskar. The way Virat Kohli is doing it is unbelievable. He is on the right track with the pacers. You've got 4 or 5 bowlers who are going to win us a lot of matches in the near future."
Lal further said that people shouldn’t criticise Kohli’s aggression as Team India needed an attacking approach to turn the tables. He added that teams like Australia and England are worried about India but that was not the case in the past.
"It's very difficult to compare (1985 team and Kohli's team). This team, I think, is one of the best teams ever. Sourav [Ganguly], MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli now. Virat Kohli has changed the concept of the game. He cultivated the fitness culture and belief in your own ability.
"I like his aggression. A lot of people criticise him but I don't want to. We needed this. We used to say that Indians were not that aggressive. Now a player, who is our captain, has come with aggression, he should be appreciated.
"Sometimes, it goes over the line. But that's fine because it's a game. He wants to win every time.
"When we go to Australia, they are worried about India. When we go to England, they are worried," Lal said.