Shoaib Akhtar feels he and Virat Kohli would have been best friends off field, worst of enemies on field

Former Pakistan bowling spearhead Shoaib Akhtar has often spoke highly of Virat Kohli, however, this time the fast-bowler has stated that he feels like he and the Indian skipper would have a great bond of friendship as he reckons that the two of them have a similar kind of nature.

Shoaib Akhtar stated that he would have been best friends with Virat Kohli off the field, the Indian skipper would also be is best of enemies when it comes to field rivalry.

"Virat Kohli would have been best of my friends, because both of us are Punjabis and we have similar kind of nature, even though he is a lot junior to me, I really respect him," Akhtar said on Espncricinfo Videocast with India cricketer turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar.

"We would have been best off the friends but on the field, we would have been the best of the best enemies," Akhtar added.

Previously, Shoaib Akhtar had also dubbed the 31-year-old as the ‘modern day Bradman and also appreciated his on-field strategy, saying that Virat Kohli was a bowler’s captain.

Not long ago, former Pakistan pacer had also explained how he would plan to dismiss the Indian batsman.

“If I was bowling, I would go wider of the crease and pitch the ball up [to Kohli] and shape it away from him in order to make him drive.”

“If that does not work, I will bowl him at 150 [kph] and he will get out,” Akhtar was quoted as saying.

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