Inzamam impressed with Butt’s domestic form
Salman Butt could return to the Pakistan national side after chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said they are impressed with the left-handers form since he made a return to domestic cricket in January last year.
The now 32-year-old Butt was one of the three players, along Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, that was given a five-year ban for his role in the spot-fixing scandal that rocked Pakistan cricket on their tour to England in 2010.
Butt scored a century in his comeback match and was second on the charts of the leading run-scorers in the National One-Day Cup, scoring 536 runs at an average of 107.20.
He also led his domestic team, Water and Power Development Authority, to the first-class title and scored hundreds in both innings in the final, finishing the season with 741 runs at 49.40.
Inzamam said in a press conference: “He is playing very well after his comeback and we are considering him.
“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.”
Butt, who has played in 33 Tests, 78 ODIs and 24 T20Is, could be a solution to Pakistan’s problematic opening position in Test cricket.
Left-arm seamer Amir has already successfully been re-integrated into the national side while Asif is also back playing domestic cricket again.
Latest
-
News
England Women wrap up 4-1 series victory in New Zealand
Heather Knight top-scored with 35 in England’s chase of 137.
-
England
England will not adopt negative approach after humbling in India – Zak Crawley
England will aim to get ‘Bazball’ back on track this summer against West Indies and Pakistan.
-
Australia
On this day in 2018: Australian trio banned after ball-tampering saga
The trio were handed their punishments on March 28, 2018.
-
County Cricket
Surrey stars eager to help Alec Stewart sign off with more silverware
Stewart has guided Surrey to three County Championship wins during his decade in charge.
-
Women's Cricket
Maia Bouchier smashes 91 as England Women seal T20 series victory
England made 177 for three and then restricted New Zealand to 130 for seven.
-
County Cricket
Yorkshire boosted by Harry Brook and Joe Root’s early-season availability
Both players are not at the Indian Premier League.
-
England
Ollie Pope ‘itching’ to get back scoring runs after ‘frustrating’ tour of India
The England vice-captain hit a superb 196 in Hyderabad, but averaged only 14.75 in the next four Tests of the India series.
-
Women's Cricket
Ellyse Perry says Ashes Test at MCG ‘amazing’ but unsure about four-day return
Australia will host England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Women’s Ashes early next year.
-
County Cricket
Harry Brook set to return for start of Yorkshire’s County Championship campaign
Brook withdrew from England’s Test tour of India in January due to personal reasons.
-
England
England spinner Tom Hartley expects his exploits in India to be ‘life changing’
Hartley’s second-innings haul of seven for 62 in Hyderabad delivered one England’s greatest ever overseas victories.