Days after announcing his retirement from international cricket, former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir labelled India star batter Virat Kohli as the greatest player of the current generation. Amir, who has been one of Kohli's biggest admirers throughout his career, has laughed off such comparisons. Amir insisted that the likes of Babar Azam, Steve Smith and Joe Root can't be compared to Kohli, saying that it is hard to match the former India captain's numbers across formats.
"Virat Kohli is the greatest player of this generation. I laugh when comparisons are made between him and Babar Azam, Steve Smith, or Joe Root. We cannot compare Virat Kohli to anyone because he has won so many matches for India, which seems impossible for any one player. Not just in one format, but in all three formats, Virat is the greatest batsman of this generation," Amir said on the Cricket Predicta show.
Amir also credited Kohli's work ethic as the reason behind his longevity in the sport.
"Virat Kohli's work ethic sets him apart from all players. After his bad phase in England in 2014, the way he made a comeback and then consistently performed brilliantly for the next 10 years was no ordinary feat," he added.
Amir announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this month. He represented Pakistan in 36 Tests, 31 ODIs and 32 T20Is, and was part of the 2009 T20 World Cup and 2017 Champions Trophy winning sides.
However, Amir said that dismissing batting Sachin Tendulkar was the highlight of his career.
"Dismissing Sachin Tendulkar was the most special moment for me. I bowled to him only once in my life during the 2009 Champions Trophy, which was held in South Africa, and dismissed him while playing against India. For three days after his dismissal, I was not in my senses; I could not believe I had taken Sachin paaji's wicket," Amir recalled.