Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal Ask National Selectors to Learn From Indian Counterparts
Published - 05 Jan 2018, 07:30 PM | Updated - 22 Aug 2024, 11:47 PM
Pakistan’s two veteran batsmen Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal have criticized the country’s selection panel for not giving their batsmen enough chances and have asked the selectors to learn from the Indian counterparts while picking the national team. Butt made his return to domestic cricket in January 2016 after serving his five-year ban for spot-fixing in England in 2010. The 33-year-old left-handed batsman Butt is hopeful to get a second chance in the national team after consistently scoring runs in the domestic circuit.
Akmal, on the other hand, has been performing well in the domestic circuit and has been knocking the door of the national selectors. Akmal has been ignored for Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand despite being the top scorer in the National T20 tournament, scoring 432 runs in eight innings. He also smashed the country’s highest T20 score, 150 during the tournament.
Butt said:
“India shows more consistency in allowing their players to play top-level cricket. Rohit Sharma’s batting average was around 25 and 30 at one stage but the Indian selectors gave him consistent chances and today he has become a world-class performer.”
Akmal was dropped from the national side because of a dip in form while Butt has not played for the national side since being found guilty of spot-fixing. Both the veterans feel that the Indian selectors show more consistency and give their batsmen more chances.
Akmal, on the other hand, feels that the pitches in the domestic circuit are the major factor for the country not being able to produce world-class batsman. He said:
“You need to have pitches in domestic cricket where batsmen can build their innings and stay for long. This is only way to give them confidence and prepare them for international cricket,”
The wicket-keeper noted that in the recently concluded Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, there were at least 20 instances where teams were bowled out for less than 100 runs because of the pitches at different venues.
Follow Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand here: New Zealand vs Pakistan 2018
