Former Pakistan player Salman Butt on Monday opined on India’s 8-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the ongoing 2021 T20 World Cup. He also said that the amount of cricket India has been playing in a year could be a major factor as well.
However, Team India has didn’t have a good start to the competition, where they have lost their first two games already to Pakistan and New Zealand respectively. While speaking about their hectic schedule and its impact on the marquee event, Butt opened up about this on his YouTube channel.
“It is important for players to be fresh. Look, you are doing the same thing every day (when you play hectic schedule). There is no doubt that the incentive, salaries and contracts are very high and attractive. But at times, you have to have your heart in the job that you have to perform optimally. If you are not fresh enough, if you can’t disconnect and connect again, then your concentration span or your intensity to go out and do your best, that gets hampered. There is a drop in your interest,” he said.
New Zealand win the game, but #TeamIndia will look to make amends in their next match of the #T20WorldCup. #INDvNZ
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/ZXELFVZhDp pic.twitter.com/Bvkz3BHshm
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 31, 2021
“It needs to be managed in a way that ahead of a major tournament, teams can regroup. For 15-20 days or for a month before the World Cup, teams should have their own preparation instead of playing in some competition, especially in one where they are playing as part of separate teams,” Salman Butt further added.
However, the veteran again said that it was natural for any team to suffer this when the players have been playing a lot of cricket throughout the year.
“India just need to reboot. People need to realise that when there is so much hype, so much pressure and when you are playing so much cricket, then these sudden and drastic defeats do come. When the volume of cricket that you play is so high, then this will happen. You need to absorb it and move on,” Salman Butt expressed.
He continued:
“And they didn’t regroup before the World Cup. Before the Test series in England, India’s players had a month off. Then they played the series and then immediately had the IPL. Four days after the IPL final, the World Cup started, and the first match in the World Cup is one where expectations are sky-high.”
“I don’t think they need major changes” – Salman Butt
However, Salman Butt claimed that India doesn’t need a lot of change in their playing XI. India will next play against Afghanistan on November 4 as well.
“Coming back from bad form and drastic failures is a part of the game. This is not the first time in the world that a team has lost like this. I don’t think they need major changes. The issues that needed to be addressed before the World Cup are still the only areas where they need change in. Carrying half fit players, some selection issues, over reliance on some players who don’t have a lot of international exposure — all of this hurt India,” Salman Butt concluded.
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