Why diet like Virat Kohli when I can still hit bigger sixes, asks Muhammad Shahzad

The Afghan cricketer has made it clear he doesn't need to shed some kilos to hit bigger sixes than the Indian captain

For Afghan skipper Muhammad Shahzad, losing weight doesn't take priority over hitting sixes. The cricketer, at over 90kg, has made it clear he doesn't need to shed some kilos to hit bigger sixes than Indian captain Virat Kohli. While his fitness regime might not be as vigorous as the celebrated sportsman, Shahzad believes his game definitely is. 

The Afghan player recently spoke to The Indian Express where he shed the light on the criticism of not being deemed as fit as his counterparts. “Dekhiye hum fitness bhi poori karte hain aur khaate bhi poora hain (I work a lot on my fitness but I don’t compromise on food). You want me to have a fitness routine like Kohli, it is not possible, but I am working on it (losing weight),” Shahzad commented.  

The 30-year-old cricketer, who has been playing internationally, makes his own rules. Having played in a refugee camp in Pakistan, the Jalalabad-based player said that not everyone can be like Kohli. “Jitna lamba chakka woh (Kohli) maarte hain, main unse zyadaa maar saktaa hoon, zaroorat kya hain unki tarah itna diet karne ki (I can hit bigger sixes than Kohli so why do I need to follow his diet?),” said Shahzad. 

The cricketer has often faced criticism for being ‘overweight’ but he has hit back at his critics with match-winning performances. He has defied the odds to become Afghanistan’s leading run-getter in the T20s and is second only to Mohammad Nabi in ODI runs.

"My coach (now Phil Simmons) knows that I can keep for 50 overs and bat for 50 overs. I have never seen it (weight) as an issue,” he added. 

But his journey has been eventful - to say the least. Shahzad might have won several games for the Afghanistan cricket team but he has also made headlines in the past for all the wrong reasons. The batsman has recently rejoined the team after completing his one-year doping ban. Then he copped a two-game suspension as recent as March during the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe for causing damage to the ground after being upset at his dismissal.

And the list doesn't end there. Speaking of controversies, Shahzad remarked, "Dekhiye galti toh insaan se hi hoti hain (To err is human). I have had two cups of coffee with you and who knows I might test positive after this,” he quipped. 

Shahzad ends the long conversation with a gem after being asked about his family. “Bahut badi family hain ji, ginte ginte raat ho jayegi (it will take a whole night to recall the names of all my family members). I have two kids, six siblings and my mother. It is always nice to go back to them whenever I get a small break from cricket,” he concluded. 

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