Pakistan Need Strong Domestic Structure Like India for Test Success - Salman Butt

Former Pakistan Cricket team skipper Salman Butt has advised that strong domestic structure is critical for success in the Test format and they cannot expect a similar performance from their players when most tend to avoid the four-day cricket in the country.

Meanwhile, Pakistan lost the three-Test series against New Zealand 1-2 last month. In addition to, they also suffered a six-wicket six-wicket defeat against South Africa in the first Test at Centurion last week.

On the other hand, India, defeated Australia by 137 runs in the third Test at Melbourne to take an unassailable 2-1 lead and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“Look when India won the recent Test against Australia, Virat Kohli credited India’s domestic cricket for the success in bowling and batting,” Butt said. “India is doing well because their players only play in the IPL T20 cricket and have to play Ranji Trophy unlike us where most players tend to avoid four-day domestic cricket.

“Look most of them (Pakistani players) have not even played 50 first class games. Not many of them have spent time in domestic four-day cricket. Worse they have played all their cricket mostly in UAE conditions,” he added.

Change in playing XI won’t make any difference

Pakistan will take on South Africa in the second Test at Cape Town and Salman Butt said changing the playing XI will not make much of a difference.

“Even if changes are made in the Pakistan team for the second Test in South Africa, I don’t think it will make a difference,” he said. “We just don’t have players who can come up with big innings after every three or four innings. What we need to do is somehow get to 300 in the second Test and if Muhammad Abbas plays we stand a good chance of winning,” he concluded.