Legendary Shane Warne on Monday said that Virat Kohli was an “inspirational leader” in himself and without his passion for the traditional format of the game, Test cricket’s popularity would have waned in some other countries.
Kohli recently relinquished Test captaincy after his side’s 1-2 loss against a weak South African side, but for the leg-spin wizard, Kohli’s biggest contribution has been the leading flag bearer of cricket’s toughest form.
“Virat was a very good leader and inspired his teammates. I think on the tactical side he could have improved but as far as being a leader, I think he inspired his teammates all the time,” Warne said while promoting his documentary ‘Shane’. told PTI during the exclusive conversation, which aired on the ‘Book My Show’ streaming platform earlier this month.
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The way Kohli promoted Test cricket for Warne, the former India captain’s respect has increased manifold.
“First of all I have nothing but utmost respect for Virat Kohli. I think he is a brilliant cricketer and a great ambassador for the game. I think we all should thank Virat Kohli and the BCCI for taking Test cricket forward and because it is the No. 1 format,” the 709 Test wicket-holder said.
Warne believes that if Kohli and the Indian cricket board don’t put their foot in maintaining the sanctity of Tests, some other countries may have lost interest in this day and era of T20 leagues.
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“If you want to test yourself in cricket, it is Test cricket. Test is the toughest form of our game. Had India and Virat Kohli not emphasized on Test cricket, a lot of other countries would probably have moved away from it, but through Virat, they really took Test cricket forward.
Warne said, ‘I am thankful to Virat and BCCI for the way he is playing and he is fantastic for the game.’
On the documentary, Warne is overwhelmed with the response he has received so far.
“I’m so proud of it and I’m blown away by the feedback. People have loved it, it inspired, so I did it the way I’ve been in the public eye for over 30 years now. So It’s been interesting to touch on some of the things that happened 30 years ago and look back,” Warne said.
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