Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt slammed the Pakistani team’s management following their embarrassing defeat to Australia in the Test series opener in Perth. Australia registered a 360-run win in the first Test of the three-match series after restricting the visitors to 89 runs in the fourth innings. Butt said that it happened because a few Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials indulge in favouritism as well.
He said in his latest YouTube video: “We have an unprofessional approach. We have failed because everyone wants to bring in people from their city or people they have good relations with. People who occupy the top seats must address this. However, despite being in a powerful position, they complain about a player from their region not getting a chance. Nobody wants to talk about merit.”
Salman Butt also lashed out at the approach of Pakistani batters during the first Test. He shared how even the senior batters of the team played wrongly on the bouncy pitch.
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“I was quite surprised. Didn’t the Pakistani players know that they had come to Perth? There was going to be pace and bounce there, but three of four batters got out while trying to play on the front foot. There is no need to go on the front foot on such wickets. Even Australian batters would get out here if they started playing drives. Even the guys who have toured Australia in the past played like that. The preparation to play on the back foot and score off good deliveries was completely missing,” he again shared.
Meanwhile, Pakistan will be hoping for a bounce back in the second Test, which will take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne from December 26 to 30. Salman Butt opined on how Australia looked like a far superior side compared to Pakistan as well.
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“Australia played like true champions. There was a clear difference between the two teams, giving us an idea of where both sides stand in Test cricket, from the understanding of the game to the skillset. We also got to know which team has prioritised Test cricket. Test cricket has not been a priority for Pakistan for a very long time now,” Salman Butt concluded.
