"Iliterates of cricket" - Salman Butt takes a dig at Pakistani experts following Test series whitewash to Bangladesh
Salman Butt didn't mince his words while criticizing the Pakistani experts who have urged the Men in Green to play with a positive intent in Test cricket. He suggested that the ones emphasizing strike rate in red-ball cricket are 'illiterates of cricket'.
The former Pakistani captain made these comments following the Men in Green's two-match Test series defeat at home to Bangladesh. He opined that focusing on the strike rate was of no point, given that Pakistan have been losing Test matches within four days.
He cited the examples of Joe Root, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to indicate that strike rate isn't the criteria for success in the purest format.
Speaking in his latest YouTube video, Butt stated (from 15:00):
"The strike rate mafia and intent mafia are basically illiterates of cricket. They have no idea about the format they are talking about. You lose within four days and come back, what are you going to do by playing fast? You played just 46 overs. What hurry do you have? Why don't you understand that your job is to bat long?
"Do the greats of the game play like highlights? Do the likes of Joe Root, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma score runs in this fashion?"
The cricketer-turned-expert expressed concern over the team's underwhelming performances in the recent past.
Hoping that the Pakistani players don't get used to being on the losing side all the time, Butt added (from 4:12):
"Phrases like this is a wake-up call for Pakistan, or alarm bells for Pakistan, seem to be an understatement. I am just worried that these guys don't start enjoying these things or get used to such defeats."
Bangladesh scripted history by claiming their first-ever win over Pakistan with their 10-wicket victory in the series opener. The visitors completed a white-wash, claiming a comprehensive six-wicket win in the recently concluded second Test.
"A big victory in the context of Bangladeshi cricket" - Salman Butt
In the aforementioned video, Salman Butt reserved high praise for the Bangladesh team. He noted that the side shone on the field, despite being under tremendous stress due to the political turmoil at home.
Speaking about how Bangladesh outperformed Pakistan in all departments throughout the series, the 39-year-old remarked (from 1:38):
"It's a big achievement for a team like Bangladesh, considering how they came for the series and what was going on in their country. This kind of pressure can hit you mentally and can be disturbing. But despite all that, they played and dominated Pakistan in all departments, be it strategically, tactically, use of pitch, use of players and selection of playing XI. Bangladesh outclassed Pakistan in every single aspect. This is a big victory in the context of Bangladeshi cricket."
Reckoning that beating Pakistan 2-0 was a significant achievement for Bangladesh, Butt added (from 2:30):
"Pakistan haven't played the kind of cricket lately where a team would think they have done something big by beating them. But still, for Bangladesh to come to Pakistan and beat them convincingly in their own backyard is an outstanding performance."
Bangladesh will now tour India for a two-match Test series. The first Test will be played in Chennai from September 19.