Calling Virat Kohli his favourite player, former cricketer Shahid Afridi said the Indian star will forget the hospitality he receives in his own country if he visits Pakistan.

Shahid Afridi’s remarks came at a time when it was being reported that India is unlikely to visit Pakistan next year for the much-anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Pakistan has the hosting rights for the competitions but India is unlikely to visit the country for the tournament. Reports indicate that India is likely to play its matches at a neutral venue, with the UAE emerging as the favourite.

A similar model was adopted last year when Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup. The tournament was played on a hybrid model. As a result, India played its matches in Sri Lanka. It would not be surprising if the ICC adopts the same model for the Champions Trophy.

Shahid Afridi welcomes Indian team to Pakistan

While only time will tell whether India will visit Pakistan or not, Shahid Afridi has urged the team to visit the country next year. The Pakistani great recalled the support and adulation that Pakistani players received when they visited India and said that sports should stay away from politics.

“I welcome the Indian team to Pakistan. We have received a lot of respect in India when Pakistan has toured the country. The Pakistan team also received a lot of love in India when we toured in 2005. Sports should stay away from politics. There is nothing better than politics, than two teams playing cricket against each other,” Shahid Afridi told News24 Sports.

Speaking further, he spoke about Virat Kohli, saying that there is a lot of craze for the Indian star in Pakistan. He also said that Kohli should not have retired from T20Is. The former India captain announced his retirement from the shortest format of the game after the T20 World Cup victory last month.

“If Virat Kohli comes to Pakistan, he will forget about Indian hospitality. There are a lot of people who admire him in Pakistan. He is very fond of him there.

“He is my favourite player. He should not have retired from T20Is because T20Is looked better because of him. He could have played more. He is fit, in form, he trains every day,” Afridi said.

Shahid Afridi said: “Virat has a lot of fans in Pakistan, we are looking forward to seeing Virat play in Pakistan.” pic.twitter.com/hWoDOSrMXr

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