Former PCB chairman Ijaz Butt on Sunday came down heavily on the Pakistan cricket team after their 37-run defeat in the first Twenty20 against Sri Lanka, saying the selectors made a wrong decision by naming Mohammad Hafeez as the captain of the side in place of Misbah-ul Haq. Butt was also critical of Shahid Afridi and said the all-rounder does not deserve a place in the side.
“Wrong captain, wrong selection, especially of the wicket-keeper (Shakeel Ansar) led to the shameful defeat against Sri Lanka,” Butt said in a statement. Butt said he had advised Zaka Ashraf not to remove Misbah as Twenty20 captain and avoid elevating Hafeez for the post since the all-rounder lacked leadership qualities, but his advice was not heeded. He also said that Adnan Akmal or Sarfraz Ahmed could have been better choices as wicket-keeper in place of little-known Shakeel, who could not impress with his skills behind the stumps.
Some board officials have questioned the timing of his statement. Butt, who has normally kept a low profile and avoided commenting on PCB and team affairs since he was replaced by Ashraf last October, decided to come out with a media statement just after one defeat suffered by the national team.
Insiders said that more than the national team`s performance or selection issues, what had miffed Butt was that after his visit to India recently, Ashraf publicly made some sarcastic comments about him.
“He was also not happy that Ashraf did not listen to his advice and followed others while removing Misbah as the T20 captain,” a source said.
Appointing Hafeez captain a wrong decision: Ijaz Butt
