July 2009
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In the first test against Sri Lanka following the T20 World Cup win, Pakistan reverted back to Salman Butt for opening. Butt lived upto the expectations scored a first ball duck in first innings and 28 in the second innings. Although he was the top scorer in second innings the question to ask since last one year and still is that is this what a team expects from an opener?
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Salman Butt was again part of team that played crucial first game of Super8s. It is becoming a standard template of his performance. Gladly no catch went towards Salman Butt so his fielding highlights were occassional jogs that ended up in 1s becoming 2s and 2s becoming 3s. On the batting front Salam Butt as expected of him got a second ball duck and lead from front the collapse of Pakistani team.
I now feel happy when Pakistan loses and Salman Butt is part of team because if that is the way PCB has to or might learn then let it be that way. Keep playing Salman Butt and keep playing with Pakistani Nation's feelings.
All the best PCB with beyond poor skills that has led cricket and Pakistani team in its present shape.
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June 09, 2009
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Irrespective of international criticism and ground realities SB was again included in today's crucial match against Netherlands. Not to my surprise at all Salman Butt played like he has always played, almost approaching uselessness. Highlight for today was his dropped catch in the early overs, I mean anybody else would have had to make extra effort to drop such an easy catch straight into hands, but for Butt it was routine.
The 10 odd runs he scores, against any reasonable team, comprised of a few good cricketing shots with an on-drive four and a six over cover and point, quite a few ugly looking slog shots he never even connects and watches to and fro, keeper and bowler and a final straight forward dismissal. But as always I ask the selectors if, a few good shots is enough to qualify to be in the International team? A player makes 15-20 odd runs on average mostly comprising of lucky flukes and occasional pretty off drives, drops more than half of the catches, acts very generous in letting singles into doubles, is he deserving to be a constant part of team? the more I ask the question the more convinced I feel that he is a burden on team, specially in field.
Why not Imran Nazir?
Why not Imran Farhat?
Why not Mohd. Hafeez?
Don't they deserve an equal amount of chance as Salman Butt?
If not why not?
If Salman Butt has an Uncle that reaches way up in PCB administration, then ok, let him come at No. 10 and place him where the keeper puts helmet in the field, I am really upset on his never ending presence.
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Younis perplexed at shoddy Pakistan display
Pakistan's aura of unpredictability, something that made watching them so fascinating, has come to an end
@ Cricinfo
[QUOTE]
It is not funny when more than one fielder in the team starts spilling catches and fumbling in the outfield. Pakistan dropped four catches at various points during the England innings: Saeed Ajmal (twice) and Yaseer Arafat and Salman Butt (one apiece) were the culprits. Butt was the comfortably the worst fielder and his captain did not hide his anger and disappointment. "Even if Butt scored 28 as an opener we'll have to think about him [for the next game] because of his fielding," Younis said.
[/QUOTE]
I am glad to hear that, Butt career needs a big huge full stop, sad but true, the sooner it happens the better. I am amazed his 28 runs were mentioned as an achievement, 22 odd out of 28 were made by luck and not Butt and of course around the same number of runs slipped through his hands and between his legs.
Go Butt Go .... on a side note, having quoted Younis's words for butt I am afraid I have to soon write about his captaincy skills because form where I see he clearly lacks the skippers' brain and charisma, more on it later ...
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June 07, 2009
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Some genius told Pakistani team they are missing a BUTT for a crucial match and guess what? Team Pakistan again included Salman Butt in the line up. It frustrates me how much is enough when it comes to him? How much worse has he to perform for PCB to see? In the field Salman Butt stood prominent from the rest by dropping at least 2 catches and letting a dozen singles into doubles (as he jogs towards the ball as if he has just started a casual net practice session or attending a friend's walima along with playing cricket) and an occasional soccer goal right between his legs and all this wearing shirt numbered 1, I mean WTF?
When it comes to his batting, SB can only bat if you bowl him medium pace on a flat pitch straight onto his bat outside off (don't you dare move the ball) and take all fielders off the off side for him to play his square drives, but is that enough to be a permanent opener for an International team? no it is not. The moment ball does even slightest or match becomes tense or the opposing captain places 3/4 men covering point to cover Butt chokes and chokes big time. His 28 of today included one good looking square drive a bunch of lucky flukes till he played one amazing shot I can't even describe.
Not to say everybody else played poorly but all of the rest do perform occasionally, I as a supporter of team Pakistan would still let them go away with all these loses considering all they have been through in the past year, how they were cut out of international circuit and the ICL drama taking key players out of the playing 11. But SALMAN BUTT, no way, he is not even a club level batsman and is not even a street level fielder. For whatever reason PCB is hanging onto him, its unfair with all the boys getting grey hair sitting on benches while Butt goes on with ZERO performance.
Butt-nama ends here today ...
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June 3,2009
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Pakistan played India, although all Pakistani team played more or less like Salman Butt but I was still glad that somebody somewhere in PCB has the eyes to see that Salman Butt, no matter how dear or near to any official he might be to have a permanent place in team, is not even performing good enough to deserve a reserve seat on the bench.
I am very glad he is at least out for one match, maybe if the guy has uncles in higher ups at PCB he still needs to be shown the door. There are players in Pakistani domestic cricket who on any day would do better than Salman Butt in his best form, but they are not even given a single chance and Butt plays on forever, sad but true.
Butt-nama ends here today ....
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I must admit that I start off this blog in sheer anger and disappointment regarding this chap called Salman Butt. Why I decided to do this, well on and off there has been a match Pakistan so badly needs to win for many reasons (we skip that part here) and all this guy does is mess up things perfectly to convince me by and large that he is playing for opponents rather than his own team.
For IPL followers it wouldn't be that difficult to remind yourself how he dented an already dented Kolkata Knight Riders of Shahrukh Khan. I guess he does that even better for Pakistan.
But that's not all about Salman Butt, if you look at his profile and batting averages they seem pretty decent but for me thats just a bluff because all his major scores, or most of his major scores have been against 3rd or 4th tier teams.
Anyways, here I will keep track of Butt's performance to see how he does over time. As for yesterday in the practise match against South Africa Butt played a perfect Butt innings getting bowled out in first over playing miles away from the ball and not to mention his mis fieldings earlier one of which ended up in boundary being scored.
See you later with Butt-nama ....
May 30, 2009 - Pak vs SA - Salman Butt b Steyn (4,1,3,1,0)
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