"Somewhere down the line, Virat Kohli will also understand this" - Salman Butt backs Rohit Sharma's appointment as India's ODI captain
Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt backed India's move to hand the ODI captaincy reins to Rohit Sharma, saying it makes sense to have one leader in white-ball cricket.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt said he expects the transition phase to be smooth if the two continue to back each other.
"It makes sense to have only a single captain in white-ball cricket. Somewhere down the line, Virat Kohli will also understand this. They have been the captain and vice-captain for several years. There should be no issue if they back each other," he said.
While there was a significant buzz on social media regarding Kohli's unceremonious exit, Butt said he was impressed with the way Rohit lauded Kohli's contribution.
"Rohit Sharma is trying to keep everything calm and cool. What he has said is also true as Kohli has raised the bar of Indian cricket with his intensity," he said.
Test captain Kohli stood down as T20I skipper after the recent T20 World Cup but expressed his interest in continuing as captain in the other two formats.
However, the national selectors named Rohit as ODI captain to go with his leadership role in the shortest format.
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"Rohit Sharma could just be a short-term captain" - Salman Butt
Butt said given Rohit is 34, he is a short-term option.
"Sharma could just be a short-term captain. Being 34 years old, the player is expected to play for only the next 3-4 years. I don't think any other player was ready apart from Sharma for the captaincy role at the moment," Butt said.
Rohit's first assignment as full-time ODI captain will be a three-match series in South Africa. India will also play three Tests on the tour starting later this month.
Watch Butt's YouTube video here: