Salman Butt inching towards a national comeback
It is likely that the former skipper would return to the squad as soon as he proves his worth to the national selectors.
Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt is striving hard to make a comeback in the national team. The selectors have come up with a plan to reintegrate the former opener into the national team. Butt has impressed the selectors with his domestic form since his return to the field on completion of his spot-fixing ban.
The national selectors led by Inzamam-ul-Haq would look to reintegrate the left-handed batsman into the Pakistan A team before he is considered for the national side. A similar scheme is in place for the players, who were caught for match-fixing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
“He is playing very well after his comeback and we are considering him,” Inzamam-ul-Haq, the PCB’s chief selector, said in a press conference on Saturday.
Butt’s domestic show
The 32-year-old returned to the domestic circuit in January 2016, after serving a five-year ban for playing his role in spot-fixing. Butt scored a century in his comeback game in the National One-Day Cup and went on to finish the tournament as its second-highest run-getter, with 536 runs at an average of 107.20.
“He was there in our high-performance camp and he was exceptional. It’s fantastic to see that a player has been out for five years but still maintained a high standard of fitness. He has checked all the boxes for his selection and we have a plan. We are not selecting him directly in the international circuit but we are trying to have him play in the A team first and then we will take it from there,” added Inzamam.
Following the National One-day Cup, the left-handed batsman was vital in Water, and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy victory. The southpaw hit twin hundreds in the final of the tournament, finishing the season with 741 runs at 49.40. Following this, he was also the second highest run-scorer in the T20 tournament with 350 runs at an average of 70.
Butt could have returned to the Pakistan squad as early as their tour of the West Indies in March-May 2017, with the then PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan publicly clearing his possible selection.
Download Our App