ICC World Cup 2023: Salman Butt Takes A Dig At ICC Over The Absence Of Pakistan Skipper Babar Azam In World Cup Promo

Former cricketer Salman Butt took a dig at the International Cricket Council (ICC) for not including Pakistan skipper Babar Azam in the Cricket ODI World Cup 2023 promo. Salman Butt believes that Babar Azam’s anger was justified, as he deserves to be included in the advertisement.

The ICC released a two-minute and 13-second promo for the World Cup on July 20, featuring celebrated moments in men’s cricket history. However, former cricketers criticized the promo for allegedly focusing too much on India and England’s glories while neglecting other teams.

Also read: ICC World Cup 2023: Sanjay Manjrekar Picks His India Squad For World Cup, Leaves Out Shreyas Iyer

Babar Azam Is Not Dying To Be In A Promo – Salman Butt

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Salman Butt expressed his disappointment over the World Cup promo, claiming that legendary skippers MS Dhoni, Ian Chappell, and Imran Khan were also not included.

“It is not a big deal. Babar is not dying to be in a promo. His fans aren’t happy with this, and their anger is justified.

It is like talking about the best batter in world cricket and not speaking about someone with hundred centuries, or discussing the best captains and forgetting MS Dhoni, Ian Chappell, and Imran Khan. It will surely look biased.”

The ICC’s World Cup promo video received criticism for its lack of representation of Pakistani players and moments. A brief clip of Shaheen Afridi’s celebration was included, but Shadab Khan, Wahab Riaz, and Mohammad Amir were shown getting out or conceding runs.

It Is Not Something That Can Be Forgotten – Salman Butt

The former Pakistan skipper emphasized that Babar Azam’s exclusion is not something that can be overlooked, considering his stature as the World No.1 ODI batter.

“They didn’t forget him. It is a thing that has been going on for a long time now. It is not something that can be forgotten. The promo was not made by a kid who would have forgotten.

This just shows the mindset of the people who made this promo. If World No.1 is missing from the World Cup advertisement, this tells your state of mind,” he concluded.

The Babar Azam-led team will start its campaign in the World Cup by taking on the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on October 6. Pakistan will play against arch-rivals India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15.

Also read: ICC World Cup 2023: Shoaib Akhtar Slams ICC For Babar Azam’s Snub From World Cup Promo Video