“People have added extra pressure on him”

Former cricketer Salman Butt believes that people should not add extra pressure on Pakistani batter Shan Masood by touting him as skipper Babar Azam’s replacement.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt pointed out how Masood has struggled for form lately. He noted that the left-handed batter failed to impress in the recently concluded home series against New Zealand.

He also claimed that it is still unclear if Masood is going to be a sure starter in all three formats. Butt explained:

“People are ruinning Shan Masood’s cricket by running this campaign. He is struggling to get runs at the moment. He could not even play one big knock in the home series. Now people have added extra pressure on him.”

Notably, according to a report by Geo News, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering stripping Babar of the all-format captaincy. Masood, who was named as the vice-captain for the team’s home ODI series against New Zealand, is said to be one of the contenders for the leadership position.

“Can’t we sit down and talk to him about it?” – Salman Butt on Babar Azam’s captaincy

Salman Butt further went on to say that instead of sacking Babar Azam, the PCB officials should have conversations with the batter to help him rectify his mistakes.

He mentioned that everyone would be in favor of making the smartest player of the side the captain. Butt, however, emphasized that the focus should be on getting positive results, as only victories would help improve the situation of Pakistani cricket.

Butt added:

“Let’s say that there are a lot of issues regarding Babar Azam’s captaincy. But if that is the case, can’t we sit down and talk to him about it? Any player would want the sharpest member of the team to be the captain. To be a great player, you must win matches. It’s of no use if you score a thousand runs in an innings but the team loses.”

Babar Azam and Co. suffered a 2-1 ODI series defeat against New Zealand at home. Furthermore, the side failed to claim a single win in the Test series, with both fixtures ending in draws.