'He needs to tone down a bit so the team can relax' - Michael Holding's advice for Virat Kohli after WTC final defeat

After the loss in the final of the ICC World Test Championship, Indian captain Virat Kohli has been getting criticism from all the nooks and corners of the cricketing world. Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding is the latest cricket expert to come out and make a comment on the Indian skipper. 

Holding, a cricketer turned commentator, expressed his views on Kohli’s intensity on the field and said that it could have an effect on his teammates. The legendary pacer also expressed that he feels that the Indian captain gets carried sometimes. During the ICC WTC final, Kohli was seen in his usual self on the cricket field, celebrating intensely and at times, having a go at the Blackcaps batsmen. 

“Virat Kohli is someone who wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s someone who will let you know exactly how he feels. I think he gets a bit carried away at times, but that is Virat Kohli, that is the man,” Holding said during an interaction with the Indian Express. The former fast-bowler compared Kohli to his colleague Sir Vivian Richards, saying that the Indian is similar to the former West Indies when it comes to expressing himself. 

He’s similar to Viv Richards in that regard: Michael Holding

“He’s similar to Viv (Richards) in that regard. Viv, sometimes on the field, was over-expressive. But those are the personalities of those two gentlemen,” Holding. The ex-cricketer further noted that he feels Kohli’s teammates are on tenterhooks because of his attitude. He advised Kohli to tone down a bit so that it can help his team relax when they are in the middle. 

“As far as his captaincy, I’ve only seen India when they were touring England and I saw them in South Africa. The only thing I’d say about Virat is that he has to tone down a bit so his team can relax because a lot of them, I think, are on tenterhooks,” said Michael Holding. 

Holding also talked about the rise of the stature of Indian cricket. He revealed that the Indian cricketers are quite a fitter group in comparison to their contemporaries of the past. He also reasoned that the pitches in domestic cricket in India have significantly improved which has allowed players to hone their skills properly and become better.