Mohammad Shahzad is the antithesis of fitness freak Virat Kohli but the Afghanistan wicketkeeper justifies his approach to the game with his big-hitting prowess.
There is seldom a dull moment when the stocky Shahzad is around, both on and off the field. “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 was quoted as saying by PTI.
The burly 30-year-old cricketer, who has had an eventful international career dating back to 2009, plays by his own rules.
The opener believes that he can hit bigger sixes than Kohli despite not having the exemplary fitness and skill possessed by the latter.
Having played in a refugee camp in Pakistan, the Jalalabad-based player speaks fluent Hindi and Urdu.
“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?),” says the stumper, whose failed attempts at weight-loss had resulted in a one-year doping ban last year.
He spends a lot of time in India and claims to know top Indian cricketers well. He calls MS Dhoni his “closest friend” says that he enjoys a good rapport with Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan.
He has defied the odds to become Afghanistan’s leading run-getter in 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,” says Shahzad, who is preparing in India for his nation’s first Test in Bengaluru in June.
He has won his team many games but has also been in the news for wrong seasons. He recently got back into the team after a serving a one-year doping ban.
Shahzad also copped a two-game suspension during the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe for causing damage to the ground after being upset at his dismissal.
He is liked both for his antics and his ballistic strokeplay. He has won fans in India for his Dhoni-like execution of the ‘helicopter shot’.
“I try to hit it like Dhoni,” he says before opening up on his rapport with the Indian cricketers.
“It is always nice to catch up with the Indian cricketers. They are very warm. I have always looked up to Dhoni and now I have the pleasure of knowing him. I have played against India three-four times and after the match gets over, I have dropped in at Dhoni’s room and chatted for hours.
“He usually asks me ‘what’s happening in Afghanistan’. We don’t tend to talk a lot about wicket-keeping and batting, it is just regular stuff about life. His room is always open for a chat but yes, it is tough to reach him on his mobile number.”
Come June 14, Shahzad will become part of history when his team takes the field against India in a Test match for the very first time.
“It will be some occasion. Earlier, the goal was to qualify for the World Cup. We have done that and now it is all about the Test against India.”
Ask him about Kohli’s possible absence from the historic match as he might be playing county cricket in England, Shahzad says playing against the Indian skipper would be more fun.
“It will be more fun and challenging if he plays. If he is not there, it will be a problem for India’s batting, we have no issues. But we would want to watch him play.”