Former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt has voiced his criticism against the prevalent allegations that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has shown favoritism towards India regarding match scheduling and conditions.
“We people are talking a lot about how ICC have favored India, how they scheduled their game in Guyana. If we had scored 42 runs in 42 balls, having eight wickets in hand, those would have been our matches. Let’s not think that since it’s India, we need to speak something on the matter,” Butt stated, addressing the recent speculations.
Butt emphasized the importance of accountability within the team, suggesting that blaming external factors like favoritism detracts from the Pakistan team’s performance shortcomings. He highlighted specific instances where the team could have secured victories but fell short due to their failings.
Reflecting on Pakistan’s upcoming cricket engagements, Butt raised concerns about the planning and strategic focus of the cricket board. “We have a series against Bangladesh in Pakistan, and we are going to Australia to play the four-day match. That too in Darwin.
Then we turn to district T20 cricket, while Pakistan’s next big event is the 50-over Champions Trophy (2025). Who is our planner?” he questioned, drawing an analogy to a student preparing for an irrelevant exam.
India has already announced their squad for the Zimbabwe series where they will send a young team with a young captain and they will play a five-Test series against Australia this year, they will send their A-team to play four-day cricket.
Butt’s critical remarks underscore a broader issue within Pakistan cricket’s administrative and strategic approach, urging a shift towards more coherent and relevant preparation. “Whatever we do is irrelevant. And then, we don’t like India winning.
This does not present the right mindset,” he concluded, advocating for a more introspective and performance-focused approach rather than attributing success or failure to external biases.
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