"He has not become Hardik Pandya or Ben Stokes" - Salman Butt urges Pakistani fans to be patient with Aamer Jamal
Former cricketer Salman Butt believes that Pakistani fans should not burden 27-year-old Aamer Jamal with expectations early in his international career.
Jamal was one of Pakistan's standout performers in the three-match Test series against Australia down under. Playing in his debut Test series, he finished as the leading wicket-taker for the Men in Green, bagging 18 scalps from six innings. Batting at No. 9, he also dazzled the viewers with an exceptional 82-run knock in the third Test in Sydney.
Butt, however, believes that it would not be fair for Jamal if he was asked to bat at No. 6 in T20Is based on just one knock. The former Pakistan skipper opined that Jamal cannot be compared to proven all-rounders like Hardik Pandya or Ben Stokes, as his consistency still needs to be tested.
Speaking in his latest YouTube video, Salman Butt remarked:
"Please let him play a few more matches. He has not become Hardik Pandya or Ben Stokes. If a player does something good, we all expect him to do everything, and then when he fails, we say he should be removed. He played a good knock and has the talent, but it takes more than talent to be consistent. Let him perform for at least a year."
Pakistan have named a 16-member squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Team director Mohammad Hafeez recently hinted that star batter Babar Azam could be rested for a few games to manage his workload.
Citing India's example, Butt mentioned that Pakistan should not have picked the players whom they intended to rest. He added:
"In some cases, India don't even pick the players in the squad with whom they want to rest. They make their squad accordingly and don't call the big players if they aren't going to play. Pakistan, on the other hand, don't have that clarity. We want to make everyone happy. Pakistan have sent so many guys that if someone contests an election, he will win just by their votes."
The series will mark the beginning of pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi's stint as Pakistan's new T20I captain. The first T20I is set to be played at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, January 12.
"Mohammad Rizwan should have been named Pakistan's captain long ago" - Salman Butt
Senior wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has been appointed the vice-captain of Pakistan's T20I team for the New Zealand series.
Salman Butt suggested that Rizwan's appointment is a step in the right direction. He pointed out how the player has an impressive record as captain in domestic cricket and the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
"According to me, Mohammad Rizwan should have been named Pakistan's captain long ago," he continued. "He has been appointed the vice-captain now, but I have been saying for very long that he should be the captain. It is a good move. He has done very well as a leader in domestic cricket and for Multan Sultans."
While Australia completed a stunning 3-0 whitewash over Pakistan in the Test series, Butt believes that Shan Masood did a decent job as captain in his maiden assignment.
"Shan Masood did not do a bad job as captain in the Australia Test series," he added. "He was quite decent. Although there is still scope for improvement for a lot of guys, as a captain, he was good with his bowling changes, tactics, and body language."
Following the series defeat to Australia, Pakistan find themselves in sixth place in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table.