"Pressure is on them, not on us" - Salman Butt on India-Pakistan rivalry
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt recently reckoned that India are under a significant amount of pressure during their matches against the Men in Green.
He stated that during his playing days, the Men in Green never thought that India could beat them. Butt also pointed out how Pakistan have tasted decent success over their arch-rivals in multi-national events in the recent past.
Speaking on Nadir Ali's YouTube channel, Salman Butt remarked:
"When we face India, the pressure is on them, not on us. When I was playing, there was not even a single day when we thought that they would beat us. Pakistan won against India in the Asia Cup, the Champions Trophy final, at the T20 World Cup in 2021, and also recently won the ACC Emerging Cup final."
"Pakistan have played better cricket in knockout matches. India, on the other hand, lost two WTC finals and have not won knockout matches for several years now," he added.
Notably, India and Pakistan are set to lock horns on multiple occasions in the coming months. The two sides could potentially play three matches against each other in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 and then also square off at the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023.
"Why do you even expect anything from them?" - Salman Butt on ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 promo controversy
The promo for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup has irked several Pakistani fans due to the lack of screen time given to Babar Azam and Co.
Reacting to the same, Salman Butt feels that people should not be upset over the advertisement. He stated that he never expected India to do something good for Pakistan.
The 38-year-old also claimed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could have used its influence to sideline Pakistani players, adding:
"Why do you even expect anything from them? Have they ever done anything good with you? The one who made the promo also knew that it would spark a debate. He would be thinking that he had succeeded. We should not give them so much value that it disturbs us. They made a promo, so we should also make our own and air it. ICC is BCCI. The ICC runs on a financial model, and it is the BCCI that funds it."
It is worth mentioning that apart from a short clip of Shaheen Afridi's celebration, there was nothing for Pakistani fans to like in the promo.