Muscat [Oman], January 23 (ANI): Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has stated that Virat Kohli was forced to leave the captaincy of India.

Last year, Kohli had stepped down as the T20I captain and then he was removed as the ODI leader as the selectors wanted one skipper for the white-ball format. Kohli then last week stepped down as India's Test captain after leading the side for seven years.

Akhtar who is currently participating in the Legends League Cricket, while talking to ANI said: "Virat didn't leave captaincy but was forced to do so. This is not the best of times for him but he needs to prove what he is made of. Is he made of steel or iron? He is a great guy and a cricketer. Do not try too many things, just go out there and play cricket. He is a great batsman and has achieved more than anyone else in the world. He just needs to go out there and play with his natural flow.""He plays a lot with his bottom hand and I think when the form is out, bottom hand players usually are the first ones to get in trouble. I think he's gonna come out of this. He should move forward from this and not keep any bitterness against anyone. Just forgive everybody and keep moving," he added.

Talking about India's next Test captain, the pacer said: "I know BCCI will make a smart decision regarding this."The schedule for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 was announced on Friday. The Men in Blue will be locking horns with Pakistan in their first match of the tournament on October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The Men's T20 World Cup 2022 is slated to be held in Australia between October 16- November 13 and it will be played across seven venues -- Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Geelong, Hobart, and Perth.

"We will beat India again in Melbourne. Pakistan is a better side than India in T20 cricket. It's the Indian media that make unnecessary pressure on their team whenever we have the clash of both countries in cricket, it's normal for India to lose," Akhtar added. (ANI)