'The real credit goes to...' - Salman Butt advises PCB to adopt domestic structure as in India

'The real credit goes to...' - Salman Butt advises PCB to adopt a domestic structure as in India (Image Source: Twitter)

Team India produce valuable players too often compared to the other nations and comes on the back of their rich domestic structure, as claimed by the former Pakistani cricketer Salman Butt. With Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Indian T20 League, India have the perfect setup for any player to rise above the ladder and cement their place in the national team. 

The former Pakistani captain felt that his country and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) must adopt the same method as the Indian cricket board. The Babar Azam-led team suffered back-to-back defeats in the T20I series, the 20-20 World Cup finals and the Test series against England and eventually managed only to draw the Test series against New Zealand. 

Much to the surprise of the Pakistani fans, the team lost the ODI series against the Kiwis and one has to agree that it was a disastrous year for the Men in Green at home. Further, Butt said that the Indian players get used to playing for long durations due to their enriched domestic circuit and heaped praise on the right-handed batter for his double ton vs New Zealand in the first ODI. 

You need to make such tournaments: Salman Butt

The 38-year-old added that the PCB must come up with tournaments that would vastly benefit the aspiring cricketers from the nation and cited India as an example for the same. With the 50-over World Cup set to take place in India later this year, it remains to be seen if Babar would continue as the skipper of the white-ball team although reports claim otherwise. 

“Other teams like our own (Pakistan), who struggle to win games while chasing big scores despite coming in a position to win the game, should learn and adopt this (India's system). You need to make such tournaments and let the kids develop their skills. In 5-10 years' time, these skills will automatically be instilled within them,” Butt was quoted as saying on his YouTube channel. 

“The real credit for such domination from India in the 200-club goes to junior-level cricket, where the batters are committed to playing for long periods. Since there is no pressure of time, your skills to score runs using the right shots and set up the batters to pick wickets get developed more,” said the former Pakistani captain further. 

“Our batters score fifties and get dismissed because we have given them 80-90 percent T20 cricket at the junior level and university level. We haven't given priority to longer formats and so they get out playing reckless shots because they just don't have those skills. Gill played such a brilliant knock at such a young age only because of the exposure and the right process that he has got,” he added.