Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt gave his verdict on Virat Kohli’s captaincy after India failed to win the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand in Southampton. Butt believes captains should be subtle, not fiery and they are measured by the tournaments they win.
Team India came second in the recently-concluded WTC Final and lost the game by eight wickets. India’s batting let the team down again in an ICC knockout game.
Also Read: Salman Butt joins Ian Chappell in rating Ravichandran Ashwin above Nathan Lyon
Butt feels Kohli hasn’t won anything for India and Royal Challengers Bangalore while leading the side and people don’t remember such leaders.
“You can be a very good captain but if you don’t win any title, masses won’t remember you. Maybe you are a good captain and have good plans but your bowler may not be able to execute it. So luck has to be on your side as well. People only remember those who win tournaments,” Butt said on his YouTube channel.
“Sometimes you may not be a great captain but your team may be very good and you may end up winning a major title. So that does not define a captain but for the world, of course, a good captain is one who has won big events.”
Also Read: Salman Butt hails Virat Kohli to be most-impactful all-format batsman
“Virat Kohli has not won any ICC title neither has he won the IPL. He is a top-class cricketer, has excellent body language and is aggressive. His energy level is at a different level, and it is evident that he wants to give his best every time he steps out in the middle. But captains should be subtle and not fiery,” he added.
Butt believes captains should be calm and composed which helps them in winning the major trophies.
“We kept hearing during the WTC final, that it is a battle between fire (Virat Kohli) and ice (Kane Williamson). Most top-class captains who have won titles were cool or gesture-less at crunch moments. Virat Kohli is a man full of gestures. Had he won, he would have been praised no end,” Butt concluded.
India last won an ICC tournament back in 2013 under MS Dhoni’s captaincy. Since that Champions Trophy 2013, India have lost three finals and three semi-finals.
