Captain dashing wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is all over the place these days. His explosive batting not only won the hearts of the fans, but also made former Pakistan captain Mushtaq Mohammad his fan.
Mushtaq even compared Pant to Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi.
He Said “Pant is more dangerous than Afridi when the bat is in his hand!”
During the India-England Test at Edgbaston, Mushtaq praised Pant in a conversation with PTI.
He said, “Pant’s batting has that fire which turns the game around. He is the new superstar of Indian cricket.”
Mushtaq has an old connection with India. Born in Junagadh, Gujarat, Mushtaq moved to Pakistan at the age of 6, but his heart is still connected to India.
He caught everyone’s attention by wearing a tie with the Indian flag at Edgbaston.
He told PTI, “I would love to visit the place where I was born and brought up. The closest I came to visiting Junagadh was when I played a benefit game for Dilip Sardesai in Ahmedabad.
I could have taken a train to Junagadh but the schedule was too tight. Unfortunately, I couldn’t come back after that.”
Mushtaq praised not just Pant but also Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli.
He was surprised at Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket and said,
“He could have played for two more years.”
Also, he remembered his friend and Indian spinner Bishan Singh Bedi, who helped him become a better bowler.
Mushtaq said, “Bishen taught me that a spinner should not be afraid of getting hit for a six.”
Talking about the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry, Mushtaq regretted that the two teams no longer play against each other.
He said, “This is the biggest rivalry in the world. Both should play in their own country.”
