Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and current players for their perceived indifference towards Test cricket. As Pakistan prepares to host Bangladesh for two Tests and England for a three-match Test series, Butt highlighted the lack of enthusiasm and commitment to red-ball cricket within the team.
“We are the only cricket board in the world that says, ‘Instead of one of the Test matches, let’s have two T20Is,'” Butt remarked. He expressed frustration over the board’s decisions and the players’ apparent preference for shorter formats over traditional Test matches.
Butt pointed out that Pakistan, once a dominant force in Test cricket during the early 2000s, has lost its way, especially after the spot-fixing scandal. The recent poor performance during the Test series in Australia further underscored the team’s struggles. Butt argued that the players’ lack of interest in playing first-class cricket regularly is a significant factor in their declining Test cricket standards.
The former captain also criticized the PCB’s unstable leadership, noting that the board has seen multiple changes in its chief within the last four years. He questioned the decision to name Shaheen Afridi as the white-ball captain only to replace him after a single series, suggesting that such moves create unnecessary divisions within the team.
Addressing the captaincy of Babar Azam, Butt said, “He [Babar] is not a born leader. But the issue is, what have you contributed to make it easier for him?” Butt accused the PCB of undermining Babar by creating factions within the team and not providing consistent support.
As Pakistan faces these internal challenges, the cricketing community will be watching closely to see how the team and its management address the issues raised by Butt and whether they can revitalize their approach to Test cricket.
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