"Mohammad Amir was more skilful than Shaheen Afridi" - Salman Butt
Comparing Pakistan's star left-arm pacers, former captain Salman Butt recently picked Mohammad Amir as the more skilful bowler than Shaheen Afridi.
Butt stated that Amir was ready for international cricket right from the moment he made his debut. He mentioned that Shaheen, on the other hand, took some time before finally finding his feet at the highest level.
The 38-year-old, however, suggested that there wasn't much to differentiate between the two fast bowlers. Butt claimed that Amir had an advantage as he had the support of other bowlers, while Shaheen didn't have that luxury.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said:
"As a youngster, Mohammad Amir was more skilful than Shaheen Afridi. He was a finished product right from the start. Shaheen too is not that far behind. It was just a matter of six months or so. With Amir, he had the support of a lot of other bowlers. However, Shaheen is alone, especially when it comes to the longer format. He has to carry all the weight himself."
Notably, Amir last played for Pakistan in 2020 during a T20I fixture against England. He announced his retirement from international cricket soon after, citing a lack of opportunities.
The discarded seamer could make his return to the team following Ramiz Raja's exit from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He was also recently given permission to train at the National High Performance Centre in Lahore.
"Why can't both of them play together?" - Salman Butt on Mohammad Amir and Shaheen Afridi
Salman Butt further stated that there is no reason why both Mohammad Amir and Shaheen Afridi can't play together in the current Pakistan team.
He mentioned that both bowlers are proven campaigners, and the two can surely be accommodated in the playing XI at once. Butt added:
"It wouldn't be fair to draw a comparison between Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Amir. They are both very talented bowlers. Why can't both of them play together? You have to bowl at both ends, not just one. They can surely play together."
Meanwhile, Shaheen has been on the sidelines due to a knee injury and was not a part of the team's recently concluded home series against New Zealand.
The Babar Azam-led side performed underwhelmingly against the Kiwis and suffered a 2-1 ODI series defeat.