Following Pakistan‘s disappointing group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup, fans on social media have urged the national team to follow the example set by Virat Kohli’s fitness transformation. An old video of the former Indian captain discussing his journey to peak physical fitness has resurfaced, drawing significant attention.
In the video, taken from an interview for the show “In Depth with Graham,” Kohli reflects on his physical transformation and the moment of realization that led him to become a fitness enthusiast. He recounts how his poor performance in the IPL 2012, coupled with bad eating habits, motivated him to change. “I played IPL for four years. I was playing for India at the highest level, but I didn’t get the success as some of the established players did. I had a really bad IPL in 2012. My eating habits were horrible in that season. I remember coming back home, I came out of the shower after the team didn’t do well… I looked at myself in the mirror and that’s the time it hit me,” Kohli said.
Kohli described how he decided to overhaul his lifestyle and fitness regime immediately. “So I saw myself in the mirror and said, ‘You can’t look like that if you are an international cricketer. How the hell are you gonna continue like this if you don’t take care of yourself?’ Boom! The next day, I changed everything about my diet. I hit the gym two hours a day. Took just a day off in the week. I got away from all kinds of junk. I didn’t have a cheat day. Within 8-10 months, I lost 6-7 kgs. From then on, it became such an addiction because I saw the results on the field. I felt quicker, I felt more focused, so then I decided, this is what I’m gonna do.”
The video, captioned “Show this to the Pakistan cricket team,” garnered nearly a lakh impressions within 12 hours of being shared. Cricketers like Steve Smith and Sanath Jayasuriya also emphasized the need for a fitness culture within the Pakistan team.
The fitness standards of Pakistan cricketers have long been scrutinized, and their recent performances have intensified the criticism. After their losses to the USA and India, and a narrow win over Ireland, questions regarding their fitness and skills became more vocal.
Head coach Gary Kirsten, who took over the team following his stint with the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, did not hold back in his assessment. As reported by a senior scribe, Kirsten criticized the lack of unity and fitness in the team. “There’s no unity in Pakistan’s team. They call it a team, but it isn’t a team. They aren’t supporting each other; everyone is separated, left and right. I’ve worked with many teams, but I’ve never seen such a situation,” Kirsten reportedly said.
Kirsten also expressed disappointment with the players’ fitness and skill levels. “Your fitness levels are not up to the mark and you are far behind the rest of the world in terms of skill levels. Even after playing so much cricket, no one knows which shot to play and when,” he allegedly told the players.
With mounting pressure from fans and former players alike, Pakistan’s cricket administration faces a significant challenge in addressing these issues to ensure better performance in future international competitions.
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