Former Pakistani cricketer slams pressure on Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli to play domestic cricket: 'They reached WC finals without it'

Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif has criticised the decision to have Indian stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli play domestic cricket before crucial white-ball matches. Rohit, India's Test and ODI captain, played for Mumbai in their Ranji Trophy match against Jammu & Kashmir, scoring 3 and 28 runs. Kohli, on the other hand, is set to join Delhi for their match against Railways at Arun Jaitley Stadium starting January 30, 2025. This move follows their underwhelming performances in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where India lost 1-3 in the five-match Test series against Australia.

What former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif said

Rashid Latif questioned the necessity of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli playing domestic cricket ahead of important white-ball fixtures against England and the Champions Trophy in Dubai next month.

He pointed out the congested international schedule, which leaves little room for players to participate in domestic competitions.

Latif remarked that the two stars had reached two World Cup finals in the past two years without playing domestic cricket, suggesting that there is no pressing need for them to do so now.

He emphasised that the focus should be on preparing for the upcoming white-ball matches, as they are a completely different format.

"Rohit and Virat have won the T20 World Cup and reached the final of the ODI World Cup without playing domestic cricket. They will next play the ODI series against England so they should prepare for it as white-ball is a totally different game," Latif explained.

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Latif stated that because Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are being "targetted," there is now pressure on all players to participate in domestic cricket.

He explained, "Due to the targetting of Rohit (Sharma) and Virat (Kohli), they're forcing everyone to play domestic cricket. In the past, barring Sachin Tendulkar, others have not played much domestic cricket."

Other than Kohli and Sharma, players like Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai), Rishabh Pant (Delhi), Ravindra Jadeja (Saurashtra), and Shubman Gill (Punjab) are also featuring in the latest Ranji Trophy round.

Who is Rashid Latif?

Rashid Latif, born on October 14, 1968, in Karachi, Pakistan, is a former cricketer and coach, best known for his role as a wicket-keeper batsman for the Pakistan national team. He made his Test debut in 1992 and played until 2003, gaining recognition for his excellent wicket-keeping and solid batting. Latif captained Pakistan in 2003, leading them in six Test matches and 25 One Day Internationals.

After retiring from international cricket, Latif moved into coaching and administration. In 2010, he became the batting coach for the Afghanistan national cricket team and later took on the role of head coach. Under his guidance, Afghanistan achieved a major milestone by winning a silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games, where they defeated Pakistan in the semifinals.

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