"Mohammed Shami's remarks were below the belt" - Salman Butt on Indian pacer's comments on Pakistan's team selection
Salman Butt believes Team India's Mohammed Shami targeted former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq by commenting on Pakistan's team selection. He opined that the veteran pacer took a potshot at Inzamam, suggesting that he was biased towards his nephew, Imam-ul-Haq, during his stint as chief selector.
Speaking on journalist Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube channel, Shami had stated that Pakistan should avoid taking digs at India and should instead focus on improving their selection. The 33-year-old made a sarcastic remark, saying that the Men in Green should make the national side a family team if they want to select players based on friendships and personal relations.
Shami said during the podcast (from 24:12):
"I don't understand why people find it necessary to target others. Improve your selection, and send a good team, they can do it, the talent is there. Do one thing, make it a family team if you want to run the team based on personal relations."
Butt seemed unimpressed by Shami's statement, as he felt that the Indian seamer targeted Inzamam. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the ex-Pakistan skipper said:
"Pakistan should not pick teams based on relations and friendships. Mohammed Shami's comments were targeted towards Inzamam-ul-Haq. He targeted Inzamam by speaking about Pakistan picking their team based on personal relations, and I think this is wrong. This is wrong because if you look at Imam's record, he came into the Pakistan team on the basis of his performance. He was also dropped when he failed. Shami's remarks were below the belt and he shouldn't have said such things."
During the podcast, Mohammed Shami also slammed Inzamam-ul-Haq for indirectly accusing the Indian bowlers of tampering with the ball in the recently concluded 2024 T20 World Cup.
"To say things about selecting players just because they are relatives is a dirty hit" - Salman Butt on Mohammed Shami
Salman Butt further added that accusing India of ball tampering was unnecessary. He pointed out that Inzamam-ul-Haq had a role to play in the controversy and Indian skipper Rohit Sharma also reacted to it during a media interaction ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinals.
The cricketer-turned-expert reckoned that the topic ended with Sharma's clarification and Mohammed Shami should have avoided stirring up another controversy with his recent comments on Pakistan's team selection.
Butt elaborated:
"Yes, there was a controversy, which should've been avoided. A lot of people made statements, Inzamam also said something, Rohit Sharma also clarified, and the topic was over. But to say things about selecting players just because they are relatives is a dirty hit. Such things don't suit Mohammed Shami. He is a renowned bowler, like how Inzamam awas a renowned captain."
It is worth mentioning that Mohammed Shami did not name Inzam-ul-Haq while speaking about Pakistan's team selection.