Indian star cricketer Virat Kohli has not only made his mark on the cricketing field, but is also quite popular on social media as one of the most expensive athletes to advertise with.
While he is the most followed cricketer as well as Indian personality on Instagram with a whopping 271 million followers, Kohli himself only follows 282 people, one of whom is a Pakistani cricketer.
Any guesses? Hint: it’s not Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi or Shahid Afridi. Well, Kohli does not follow any cricketers currently playing for Pakistan. Rather, he only follows former Pakistani fast bowler, skipper and ‘Sultan of Swing’ Wasim Akram.
Wasim is considered one of the world’s greatest bowlers. After retirement, he has also held coaching responsibilities in the Indian Premier League.
Why did Wasim Akram deny PCB’s job offer?
Former Pakistan cricket team captain Wasim Akram has opened up about why he declined a job offer from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
During an online press conference in Melbourne, he said, ” I received a job offer, but I’m not someone who can work a 9 to 5 job.”
Talking about the Champions Trophy 2025, he said, “Positive signals are coming from India regarding the Champions Trophy. The PCB has made several offers to the Indian Board, and India should come to Pakistan.”
Akram highlighted the massive fan following that Indian players have in Pakistan, saying, “Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav have many fans here. Fans are eagerly waiting for them. People from both countries should interact more, and India should consider this.”
On his personal experiences, he mentioned, “I haven’t been to India for six or seven years, and I miss the food and people there. Indian players would enjoy coming to Pakistan.”
Discussing the upcoming series in Australia, Akram noted, “Conditions in Australia are tough, and it won’t be easy for Pakistan. Winning even one ODI would be a significant achievement, and the T20 series should be good.”
Akram praised Fakhar Zaman, stating, “Fakhar Zaman is an impact player. I’m sure Fakhar didn’t write the social media statement himself. Whoever wrote it should have informed him about the potential issues related to the central contract. This is a lesson for Fakhar to be more mindful of his social media posts, and the PCB was right to be upset about the matter.”
The former national team captain also praised Mohsin Naqvi, saying, “Mohsin Naqvi is doing excellent work for cricket and can run the cricket board professionally.”
In response to a question about Rizwan’s captaincy, Akram said, “Mohammad Rizwan has captaincy experience and is a good choice. He should focus on his game.”
Regarding criticism of creating pitches for home advantage, Akram remarked, “We don’t need enemies when we have enough critics within. Criticism of home advantage is incomprehensible. I’ve been advocating for turning pitches for the past 5-6 years, even if it means losing. I’m glad that someone finally considered this, and after losing three consecutive Test matches, we won two consecutive Tests.”
Expressing his happiness about the future of Pakistani cricket, Akram added, “I’m pleased that young players are being given opportunities to prepare for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Players like Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah should focus on their game, leave social media, go home after playing cricket, and enjoy. Babar Azam should also forget about captaincy, play cricket, and score runs.”
Pakistan will be hosting the Champions Trophy next year in February and March.
