Gary Kirsten called out openly by former Pakistan captain for mishandling Shaheen Afridi fiasco

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has openly criticized head coach Gary Kirsten and the current Pakistan Cricket Team management for their poor handling of the recent altercation between pacer Shaheen Afridi and batting coach Mohammad Yousuf ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The incident reportedly took place during Pakistan’s net practice at Headingley, where Shaheen engaged in a heated argument with Yousuf. Sources reveal that the argument began when Yousuf reacted to Shaheen’s consistent no-balls in the net.

Salman Butt criticizes Pakistan Cricket Management over Shaheen Afridi-Yousuf incident

As Yousuf called out Afridi for his consistent inability to hit the balls in the nets, the Pakistan speedster lashed out at the coach and asked him to let him practice without interference. It is said that their exchange became quite intense, as Shaheen’s anger was evident when he was responding to Yousuf’s remarks.

Following the altercation, Shaheen has reportedly apologized to Yousuf, acknowledging his misconduct. Even the Pakistan cricket team management reprimanded the premier pacer internally. However, the incident has sparked significant discussion among the Pakistan cricket fraternities.

Salman Butt, known for his outspoken views, did not hold back in his critique. He slammed the Pakistan team management's handling of the situation, saying it was important to maintain discipline and respect within the squad, especially in the lead-up to major tournaments like the T20 World Cup.

The former Pakistan captain has emphasized that if the management believed Shaheen was not following the plans and was not cooperating, they should have taken immediate action. He said that Afridi should have been dropped from the Pakistan team and considered other options after his poor behavior.

Salman Butt calls out Pakistan Team Management for lack of action on Shaheen Afridi's misconduct

Butt argued that allowing Shaheen to continue without any punishment and complaining later was beyond his understanding. He questioned the effectiveness of having high-profile figures in the team on substantial salaries if they couldn’t take action in such situations, referring to coach Gary Kirsten.

Taking a dig at the Pakistan cricket team management, the former batter said that the role of the management is to act, not just to voice complaints. Notably, Afridi is likely to miss the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh at home as he is set to welcome his first child soon.

Salman Butt told a local sports channel, as reported by Cricket Pakistan: “If the management thinks that Shaheen was not implementing the plans and was not cooperating with them intentionally, then they should have taken action. If he was not disciplined, then they should have dropped him and opted to go with some other player.”

But he signed off by saying, “If you gave him full opportunity despite all these issues and are now complaining, I think anybody can do that. What’s the point of appointing [big names] with hefty salaries? Management’s job is not to complain but to take action.”