"There is a mental block" - Salman Butt on Fakhar Zaman's lean patch with the bat
Salman Butt believes that Pakistan should rest out-of-form opening batter Fakhar Zaman for a few matches in the ongoing 2023 World Cup.
Butt reckoned that Fakhar doesn't seem to be in a good frame of mind at the moment. He suggested that the southpaw will regain his confidence once he gets a big knock under his belt.
"There is a mental block. Once luck favours him in a match and he scores big runs, his confidence will also gradually increase. The absence of a proper technique makes things very difficult in such situations," Butt said (7:29) in his latest YouTube video.
"He never had a proper technique. I feel he is in a mental mess. His thought process doesn't seem to be clear. He needs to clear his mind. In such cases, sitting out for one or two matches can help," he added.
Fakhar Zaman has been under the scanner following a string of underwhelming outings in ODIs. The senior batter failed to make it count in Pakistan's opening match of the 2023 World Cup against the Netherlands on Friday, scoring just 12 runs.
Salman Butt noted that not just Fakhar, but Imam-ul-Haq also didn't look at ease against the Netherlands. He pointed out how both batters struggled to get going against off-spinner Aryan Dutt, adding (1:18):
"While Pakistan won the match, their batting woes continued. The Pakistani batters were getting out to fast bowlers. However, on this track, both openers looked uncomfortable against off-spin. If a left-handed batter fails to accumulate runs against a spinner, the frustration carries on to the other end as well. Forget attacking; we didn't even look confident against spin, especially the openers."
Imam scored just 15 runs during his brief stay at the crease. Pakistan ultimately managed to post 286 runs, thanks to Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan contributing 68 runs each. The Men in Green secured an 81-run win by bundling out the Netherlands for 205.
"Looked very impatient" - Salman Butt on Shaheen Afridi's bowling exploits vs the Netherlands
Salman Butt further stated that Pakistan's pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi needs to be a little more patient early on. He pointed out how the left-arm seamer tries many different things in search of wickets.
The 39-year-old reckoned that Afridi should think like a long-format bowler, explaining (8:46):
"Shaheen Afridi has looked very impatient. His reputation for picking up wickets in the first two overs has made him impatient, as he wants to keep that intact. He tries a lot of different things in the first couple of overs. Against a team like the Netherlands, he should have bowled a bouncer before pitching it up. He doesn't think like a long-format bowler. He has gotten wickets regularly early on, so it's like he feels it is his divine right."
Afridi bagged just a solitary scalp and conceded 37 runs from seven overs against the Netherlands.
Pakistan will now face Sri Lanka at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Tuesday, October 10.