NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had once rated Virat Kohli higher than Sachin Tendulkar, recalls Ajay Bisaria, who served in Pakistan as India’s High Commissioner from 2017 to August 2019. Bisaria was later expelled by the Pakistan government in response to the abrogation of Art 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
“During one of the Iftar parties he had hosted, Imran Khan told me that he thought Virat Kohli was clearly the best cricketer in the world and he would rate him much higher than Tendulkar,” Bisaria said at the Idea Exchange.
“Because, he said, Kohli turned losing matches into winning ones, and that is not what often happened in the case of Tendulkar.
Former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay BisariaFormer Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria at the Noida office of The Indian Express. (Express photo by Renuka Puri)
“Even Dhoni has a huge following in Pakistan.”
Ex-envoy Bisaria also explained why Virat Kohli has a huge appeal across Pakistan, as was the case with Imran Khan in India earlier.
“Because cricket is a subcontinental religion and everything else falls before that,” he said.
Although cricket is a religion in the sub-continent, but the sports diplomacy has failed get two countries closer.
“Sports diplomacy has been a very important tool of the people-to-people diplomacy,” said Bisaria.
“Bilateral diplomacy has often ridden on the back of cricket diplomacy. But we should recognise its limits.
“However, when the relationship gets better, trade and cricket are low-hanging fruits.”
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