Kohli has given the Indian team pride, aggression: Brearley

MUMBAI: He may just have led India to a Test series' loss in South Africa, but Virat Kohli will be pleased about the fact that amongst those who are impressed by his captaincy is a certain Mike Brearley, regarded as one of the finest captains of all time.
"I haven't been close enough to (Virat) Kohli but I admire him enormously, he has given the team pride and aggression. He is always attentive, keen eyed, he is a wonderful batsman and he is shrewd," praised the former England captain here at the NCPA on Thursday, on the occasion of the release of his latest book: 'On Form.'
The function was also attended by former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar.
Kohli has faced a fair bit of criticism for constantly chopping and changing his XI, particularly during the recent Test series in South Africa. Brearley felt this was a phenomenon he may have acquired from Twenty20 cricket, where one is constantly switching the team's strategy.
"I find it extraordinary and probably because it has to do with some unsettling in the team when you have too many changes. Of course, it could be too gratifying or too complacent to the team to have changes. Just because you won the last Test, doesn't mean you have to play the same team, you should change. May be what is come in with T20 cricket is greater openness to variability. You have to come and bowl one over and then you're taken off. You have to bowl an over of wide yorkers, then have to bowl an over of good length. You have to be very flexible and quick to adjust," felt the 75-year-old.
There are quite a few who have a problem with Kohli's over the top celebration after taking a wicket, but Brearley sees nothing wrong with it. "I quite like the brashness of Kohli's celebrations, he enjoys taking a wicket," quipped the Englishman.
Former South African captain Graeme Smith had recently remarked that Kohli's animated gestures on the field could put pressure on his teammates, but Brearley defended the Indian skipper on that front too.
"I haven't seen enough of it. He's very passionate. You can't have passion without disappointment," he analysed.
However, Brearley agreed with those who feel that the 29-year-old needs a few people around him who can question his decisions at times.
"A leader of a country should be kept in check. He needs to have people he listens to and people who tell him where he's getting things wrong. (John F) Kennedy (former US President) used to have a group of people who's job was to criticise his policies, that seems to be very healthy," Brearley opined.
Kohli endured a horrible time with the bat during India's last tour in 2014, but Brearley had sympathy for him.
"I didn't watch it closely enough. If you're batting in some English conditions and you've got Anderson and Broad bowling against you, you're going to get out sometimes. They are going to get out the best players and they are going to make the best players look modest for a while, but he came through. He's now scoring runs everywhere. He was up against top quality bowlers in conditions that suited them," summed up Brearley.
The 39-Test veteran was critical of the tendency of almost all the international boards to make pitches that suit the home team's bowlers.
"India will find it hard (in England this summer). It's a drawback of international cricket today that there are too many home wins. I don't like the idea of people making pitches too much in favour of their own bowlers. Of course, you have pitches that are natural to their country, say you're going to have turning pitches in India or seaming pitches in England, but it sometimes goes too far," he felt.
Brearley seemed impressed by India's show in South Africa, despite their 2-1 defeat in the Test series at the hands of the hosts. "India have got a very good team. I was impressed with how they stuck at it in the last innings in Johannesburg in the field and their batting on difficult pitches was against good quality bowling," he complimented.
Brearley felt that modern-day captains don't get enough time to get groomed for captaincy.
"It's become harder for people because they don't get apprenticeship. They start becoming centrally contracted for their countries very early, so they don't have a time of learning their job at a slightly lower level. It's very different because of the number of advises. It's more variegated in the forms of the game. Basically, the job is the game," he explained.