"The worst of all" - Salman Butt sums up Pakistan's 2023 World Cup campaign
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt believes that the 2023 World Cup campaign was the Men in Green's worst in the recent past. He pointed out how the team have seldom lost as many as five games in a major tournament.
Butt also highlighted that Babar Azam and company failed to perform consistently, even though the conditions in India are quite similar to those in Pakistan. Assessing the team's performance in the showpiece event, he said in his latest YouTube video:
"I can't recall a tournament where Pakistan lost five matches. When you look at the past two or three campaigns, this was the most disappointing one. It was the worst of all. Also, it came despite the conditions being very similar to those in our country. So, the excuse of conditions goes out of the window."
The cricketer-turned-expert also suggested that Pakistan endured a torrid time at the 2023 World Cup despite having played with the same team for the last few years.
"There are bound to be repercussions after such a campaign. You'd see some people leave and some new people come in. However, this time, it's a different story. The captain and the team were intact. We didn't see any major changes within the team during the World Cup. This same team played the Asia Cup and this same team has been playing for the last few years. Everyone's roles had been the same for the last four or five years," Butt added.
Pakistan managed to win just four out of their nine matches in the ongoing ICC event. They suffered a heartbreaking group-stage exit, finishing fifth on the points table.
"For him, county is more important than Pakistan" - Salman Butt on Pakistan's director of cricket Mickey Arthur
During the video, Salman Butt also launched a scathing attack on Mickey Arthur, Pakistan's director of cricket at the 2023 World Cup.
He mentioned that Arthur should not be disappointed with the team's dismal show, claiming that for him, Derbyshire County was more important than Pakistan's national team.
"Mickey Arthur has coached Pakistan in the past, and he was with this team for eight months or so. Why is he showing concern now? You can see how serious he was during his tenure. He went for a Derbyshire match during the Asia Cup. Why is he concerned now? For him, county is more important than Pakistan," Butt remarked.
It is worth mentioning that Arthur came under the scanner for his comments during a post-match press conference after Pakistan's seven-wicket loss to India. He had questioned the lack of support for the Babar Azam-led side at the stadium and stated that it looked like a BCCI event and not an ICC event.