"Do we prioritize Test cricket?" - Salman Butt slams Pakistan's priorities concerning the longest format

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt claimed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the players didn't give the Test format as much preference as they should have. Pakistan are set to host Bangladesh for two Tests followed by a three-match red-ball series against England.

A Cricket Pakistan reporter asked Butt about Pakistan's lack of quality spin options apart from Abrar Ahmed for the Test format. To this, the former cricketer lambasted several players for not playing domestic cricket regularly and slammed the board for wanting more T20 cricket instead of Tests.

Here's what Salman Butt said:

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"Do we prioritize Test cricket? Why are we suddenly so worried about our combination? We just don't want to play the format. Our boys don't play first class cricket regularly. We are the only cricket board in the world that says, 'Instead of one of the Test matches, let's have two T20Is.'"

Butt claimed that the love for playing Test cricket and the passion to do well in the format has been deteriorating among the Pakistan players.

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Salman Butt also slammed PCB for handling of Babar Azam's captaincy

Salman Butt believes that the PCB could have handled the situation surrounding Babar Azam being reinstated as a captain in a much better way. He indirectly slammed the board for the selection of Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir in the T20 World Cup squad despite them insulting Babar Azam multiple times on TV.

He further said:

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"He (Babar) is not a born leader. But the issue is, what have you contributed to make it easier for him? You brought in two guys who humiliated him on TV. Then you changed the captain and brought him back after two series. You are creating corners within the team yourself."

Salman Butt agreed that Babar Azam was not a great captain. However, he felt the PCB should have had better man management in place to avoid Pakistan's disastrous T20 World Cup campaign.

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