Brian Lara Clubbing Rohit Sharma and Shaheen Afridi in Same Category Stuns Fans

Rohit Sharma is way ahead of Shaheen Afridi in terms of cricketing legacy, with the 38-year-old having guided India to three ICC finals.

Brian Lara Clubbing Rohit Sharma and Shaheen Afridi in Same Category Stuns Fans

Fans were left stunned after Brian Lara added Rohit Sharma and Shaheen Afridi in the same category. (via Times of India)

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West Indies cricketing legend Brian Lara’s surprising choice for his Greatest of All Time (GOAT) players has stunned fans. Lara drew criticism for categorizing Rohit Sharma in a lower tier, alongside Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi.

In an interview on the ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast, where he had most recently admitted that the West Indian cricket board is in a frail condition, Brian Lara was presented with a list of nine prominent players, from both current and past eras. His task was to rank them into three distinct categories; ‘GOAT’ (Greatest Of All Time) as the highest, ‘Legend’ as the second tier, and ‘Great’ as the final, lowest category.

Brian Lara first picked his Greatest of All Time (GOAT) players, with the elite group including Australian legends Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath, former South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis and ace Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah’s inclusion is no surprise, with the 31-year-old having lit up the world over the past few years with his magnificent bowling displays across all formats of the game.

The remaining cricketers on Brian Lara’s list found their place in the ‘Legend’ category, inlcuding former England international Kevin Pietersen, New Zealand batter Kane Williamson, Indian ODI captain Rohit Sharma, and Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi. Sharma’s placement in the second tier has sparked considerable debate, with many fans exclaiming he deserved to be in the same ‘GOAT’ category as his teammate, Bumrah.

Sharma has undeniably forged a legacy, solidifying his status as one of India’s greatest openers. He boasts four major ICC titles, including the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. More recently, he led India to victory in both the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy as captain. Individually, he holds remarkable records such as the most double centuries in ODI cricket, the most centuries in Cricket World Cups, and the most runs in T20Is.

Fans were particularly astonished by Brian Lara’s decision to place Rohit Sharma in the same category as Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi, deeming it an unreasonable comparison. Sharma’s prominent stature in Indian cricket is unparalleled, with a career spanning over 270 ODIs and 150 T20Is. In stark contrast, the 25-year-old Afridi, while promising, is still striving to establish himself as one of Pakistan’s best bowlers, having played only 60 ODIs and 75 T20Is to date.

Despite Shaheen Afridi’s current achievements, fans firmly believe Brian Lara should have placed him in the lowest ‘Great’ category. Many feel the 25-year-old still has a considerable journey ahead before earning the ‘Legend’ status in international cricket.

Cheteshwar Pujara Leaves Rohit Sharma Out of His Combined India-England XI of the 21st Century

Out-of-favor Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara and former English opener Nick Knight picked their combined playing XI of the 21st century. Notably, Pujara’s choices included some surprising selections, with several prominent players, including former India captain Rohit Sharma, surprisingly left out.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma
Cheteshwar Pujara did not pick Rohit Sharma in his India-England combined XI. (via Hindustan Times)

Pujara’s choices for England included Ben Stokes, Alec Stewart, and Andrew Flintoff. For his Indian contingent, he picked Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, VVS Laxman, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah. Notably, Pujara omitted Rohit Sharma, despite his impressive red-ball record against England, where he’s amassed over 1,100 runs, including four centuries and four half-centuries.

Moreover, Pujara also left out legendary Indian wicket-keeper and former captain MS Dhoni, someone who was picked by Nick Knight. A few other notable absentees from his XI were Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag, Murali Vijay, and of course, Sachin Tendulkar.