"He should not be dropped" - Salman Butt on under-fire Suryakumar Yadav
Despite acknowledging that Team India's Suryakumar Yadav has consistently failed in ODI cricket of late, former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has suggested that he should not be dropped, as he is a special talent.
Butt opined that the team management should consider giving the dynamic batter a short break so that he can make a strong comeback in the future.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt explained:
"It is a matter of concern when a player fails continuously in 10 innings. He [Suryakumar Yadav] should not be dropped, considering his talent and the way he has performed in international cricket, although in a different format.
"Maybe a breather or playing domestic cricket will help him come back. These kinds of successive failures is bound to put any player under immense pressure. It is important to relieve him of that pressure at times."
The recently concluded three-match ODI series between India and Australia was of utmost importance for Suryakumar, given that he had a chance to carve a niche for himself in Shreyas Iyer's absence.
However, the No. 1 ranked T20I batter failed to make the most of his chances. He failed to score a single run in the series, bagging three back-to-back golden ducks.
"There are times when the captain doesn't have what he wants" - Salman Butt on India's constant chopping and changing
Salman Butt further stated that India tend to make a lot of changes to their lineup in an attempt to test their bench strength. He pointed out that it does have a significant impact on the team's performances.
Butt reckons that because of the continuous chopping and changing, the skipper isn't able to field the eleven that he wants to.
The former cricketer said:
"India play a lot of cricket and have very good bench strength. They also have a rotation policy to ensure that there aren't any burnouts. But does that mean that players don't get injured there? They obviously do.
"They are in the same boat. India have the luxury of chopping and changing to play more cricket. However, the repeated changes in the combinations have an impact on the results. Because of this, there are times when the captain doesn't have what he wants.
"I don't know what they are up to or what are they planning. It is up to them. But according to me, as a captain and as a coach, you do test your bench strength to a certain extent, but not to the point that it becomes regular. Pakistan's problem is that they don't do it all, and India's problem is that they don't stop doing it."
Notably, India suffered an ODI series loss to Australia following their 21-run defeat against Steve Smith and Co. in the deciding contest on Wednesday in Chennai.