I’m Hopeful And Confident That I Will Wear The Pakistan Shirt Once Again – Salman Butt
Oct 1, 2017 at 1:27 PM
The Story
Salman Butt as a youngster was touted to be one of the greatest batting talents in Pakistan and someone who was destined to become the future leader. He gave every sign making both the assumptions about him come true.
Just after a couple of years into the international scene, he proved his batting credentials. A few years later in July 2010, the leadership mantle fell into his lap when Shahid Afridi gave up captaincy after his side’s comprehensive defeat at the hands of Australia at Lord’s.
The then 25-year-old Test captain had reached the peak of his reputation in Pakistan cricket, and it was anticipated that the road would be all glorious for him after that. However, tragedy struck, a self-inflicted one, which left not only him but also his country’s cricket crippled with embarrassment and a tarnished image.
In August 2010, during the series against England, the ‘spot-fixing’ scandal was exposed which involved Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and the skipper himself – Salman Butt.
The action followed immediately, and the trio was banned from all forms of cricket for five years. The ban expired in September of 2015 but the damage done to the image was yet to fade away, especially for Butt who was looked upon as the main culprit along with his experienced teammate Mohammad Asif.
Comeback hope lingers in the mind
The return of Mohammad Amir, who was seen more as a victim due to his naive nature at the time of that incident, has brought a ray of hope in the minds of Butt. The level optimism has increased after his successful time in Quaid-E-Azam Trophy impressed chief selector Inzamam ul Haq who indicated that he might be in line for selection for the Pakistan A side.
However, not everyone is happy to see Butt’s efforts to revive his cricketing career. Most of the fans and experts are still upset with his action that nearly brought pushed Pakistan cricket into chaos. One of the strongest voice among these is of former cricketer and commentator Ramiz Raja.
“A few people mentioned Ramiz Raja’s recent comments about me and I have always respected him as a former Pakistan cricketer and a senior player, and I will continue to respect him. He is entitled to his opinion I guess, but my aim is to do well for Pakistan and change his opinions about me. Our future is not in the hands of any individual, rather it is God’s wish what happens and He controls our destiny. You cannot have positive opinions about yourself from everyone and that’s just the way it is,” Butt said.
The 32-year-old understands his fault and is determined to win back the trust again.
“I’m really happy with my performances in domestic cricket since my return to cricket, especially considering that I was making a comeback after six years. If I am being honest, I was expecting an international recall sooner… but I’ll be more than happy whenever that international recall comes. I’ve had to be patient, but I’m on it, I’m working hard and I’m hopeful and confident that I will wear the Pakistan shirt once again.”