Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding believes that Virat Kohli is a “fantastic batsman” but is still a work in progress when it comes to captaincy.
Holding, who is in South Africa as a commentator for the Test series against India, said he would include Kohli in his list of the world’s three top cricketers, but added that the 29-year-old needs to perform in places such as England to be classified as a great.
“[Kohli] is a very very good player,” Holding told Mumbai Mirror in an interview. “When I see him score runs in England, I would call him a great player. I like people who score runs everywhere.”
Holding added that Kohli’s got some work to do to become a good captain. “I don’t want to condemn him too much because I like to have my own way as a captain,” Holding said. “I like to be given the team I want all the time. But it is still not the right way to go.”
He added, “There got to be discussions with the wiser heads from time to time, come to conclusions and flesh out different arguments. I get an impression that he is getting what he wants.
“He is very emotional about his cricket. He means everything he wants to do. In time he will learn. Because he has been so successful since he took over, it is hard for him to change. He has to see other view points and arrive at consensus.
Holding also does not think India is the best Test team in the world despite what the ICC rankings say. According to him, South Africa is a team that is capable of winning both home and away. “When Australia come here next month, that series will tell us a lot,” he said. “Because both sides will be playing under conditions that are familiar to them – hard dry pitches and bright sunshine.”
Holding had some good words to say about the Indian bowling attack, especially Bhuvneshwar Kumar who he said “bowled beautifully” in the first Test at Newlands. “I was not sure why he did not play in the second Test,” he said.
Like many pundits, Holding was also of the view that it was India’s batsmen who had failed them. He also questioned why India’s best overseas batsman Ajinkya Rahane had not played so far in the series. “I said on the first morning of the series that it was all about India’s batting line-up,” he said.
“I don’t think India have too much to worry about their bowling. They need to get some runs on the board. South Africa’s is an outstanding attack, not an average attack. India have to find ways to get the runs,” he added.