Former English bowler Bob Willis has opposed Team India skipper Virat Kohli’s plan to be part of the County Championship ahead of India’s tour of England later in this year. As per reports on 24th March, it is learned that Virat Kohli’s plan has already been agreed. In all likelihood, he will play three first division fixtures for Surrey ahead of India’s tour of England.
The Men in Blue will play 3 ODI’s and 3 T20I’s before competing in a five-match Test series starting in August. Last time India toured England, they lost the five-match series by a 3-1 margin. Kohli had a horrendous series scoring only 134 runs at a below-par average of 13.40.
Former and upcoming English players have not supported their decision to allow Kohli take part in the County Championship especially in a tour like England. He added that it was nonsense that the county allowed him to play in County Championship ahead of the tour of England.
“I can’t stand overseas players in county cricket. It doesn’t benefit the players stranded in the second XI year on year and the youngsters. The only way to improve our Test team is to have as many England-qualified players playing in the County Championship as possible,” Willis was quoted as saying by the Sky Sports.
“Instead, they’re going to pay Kohli, presumably, five figures a match so he can hone his skills in English conditions before a Test series. It’s a nonsense. He should be made to suffer and average 30 in England as he has done before. We don’t want England starting to lose Test matches at home because we’re accommodating all of these visiting players.”
As per reports, Kohli could miss the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Bangalore on 20th June. He might subsequently miss the T20 series against Ireland to play county cricket. However, Surrey’s director of cricket Alec Stewart admitted that he was interested in signing Kohli for the county season.
“I did inquire a while back about Kohli when it appeared to be a possible option for him to play county cricket but was told by the BCCI that India was playing Ireland in T20s and an inaugural Test v Afghanistan in June,” Stewart was quoted as saying by the Guardian.
“If he does now become available we would look at it again to see if it could potentially work around our current overseas arrangements.”
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