Salman Butt responded to the remarks made by Mohammad Hafeez, the team director of Pakistan, after their 79-run loss to Australia in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Hafeez made these comments during the post-match press conference as Pat Cummins and the team secured an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
It’s noteworthy that after Australia defeated India in the 2023 World Cup final, former cricketer Mohammad Kaif expressed a similar sentiment. Kaif expressed the view that although Australia won the major event, India was the superior team on paper.
In response, Butt ironically implied that the Australian team had a subpar year, and many have questioned their capabilities.
“It has been a terrible year for Australia, as they have not been good on paper. When they won the World Cup, former Indian players said India were the better team on paper, and now, after winning the Test series against Pakistan, Mohammad Hafeez suggested that Pakistan played better.” Butt said in his latest YouTube video.
Butt commended Australia’s captain Pat Cummins, emphasizing how the fast bowler had effectively led the team. He also expressed his opinion that although Cummins has performed exceptionally, there is room for improvement in the performances of left-arm speedster Mitchell Starc, stating:
“He (Mitchell Starc) bowls a short spell, where he finds a couple of wickets. Otherwise, he has not been consistent. Pat Cummins has been leading Australia’s bowling attack with his captain’s spells. At the moment, he is the No. 1 bowler of the world.”
Cummins stood out as the top-performing bowler in the Boxing Day Test, securing a five-wicket haul in both innings and earning the Player of the Match award.
“Pakistan should prioritize Test cricket”- Salman Butt
Salman Butt thinks that for future improvement, Pakistan’s team management should prioritize red-ball cricket. He suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board should contemplate raising the count of Test matches for the national team. Butt stated:
“The only way Pakistan can improve in the long run is by making their players play the longest format regularly. Test cricket should be Pakistan’s priority, and should play the same number of Tests that the top three or four teams do. They need to understand that Test cricket is real cricket.”
The former cricketer turned analyst emphasized that Nathan Lyon hasn’t made a notable impact while bowling to Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood in the current series, commenting:
“Shan Masood attacked Nathan Lyon and played him freely in the second Test. Yes, he is a very good bowler, but doesn’t look confident when he bowls to Shan Masood or when someone attacks him.”
Pakistan aims to restore some pride by securing a consolation victory in the third Test. The series’ final match is scheduled at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7.
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