Although Rishabh Pant's unorthodox style and courageous strokeplay have frequently drawn comparisons, few are as unexpected as the one just made by former Pakistan captain Mushtaq Mohammad. The 81-year-old attended day four of the Edgbaston Test between India and England and compared Pant to Shahid Afridi, a cricketer better known for his white-ball exploits, but added that the Indian wicketkeeper was a better batsman with the willow in hand.

Although meant as a compliment, the remark created a comparison that cannot be disregarded. In a ten-year red-ball career that included only 27 tests, Afridi scored an average of 36.51, with five centuries and eight fifties. Pant, who is only 27 years old, already has a Test average of 44.45 and has amassed several hundreds and half-centuries, all while taking on the extra duty of being behind the stumps.

“Rishabh Pant is the Indian Shahid Afridi, but he is actually superior than Afridi when he has a bat in his hand,” Mushtaq told PTI.

Although the comparison may be statistically flawed, it does demonstrate how Pant has had a significant impact across platforms with his explosive yet successful style, particularly in high-pressure situations abroad.

Pant wasn't the only person Mushtaq admired. The former captain, who currently lives in Birmingham, gushed about Indian cricket and showered Virat Kohli with appreciation, but he also admitted that he was taken aback by the Indian veteran's choice to quit the game's longest format.

“Kohli might have kept playing for two more years. He should be here with the Test squad. I have no idea why he retired, Mushtaq stated.

The unfulfilled desire to go back to India

Born in Junagadh, Gujarat, Mushtaq relocated to Pakistan at the age of six. His emotional bond with India is quite strong. By donning a tie bearing the Indian flag at Edgbaston, he subtly conveyed a message.

"I'd want to visit the place where I was born and raised. I was closest to seeing Junagarh when I played the Dilip Sardesai benefit game in Ahmedabad. Because the timetable was so tight, I might have taken the train to Junagarh. Regretably, I was unable to go back after that, he said.

Visa issues have prevented him from returning to his birthplace, even though he has performed in India twice, in 1961 and 1978. "I wasn't able to go back." Mushtaq said that remains an unrealized ambition.

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