Salman takes captaincy inspiration from Imran

Despite experiencing triumph in his first Test, Salman Butt has refused to stake long-term claims on captaincy.

NOTTINGHAM: Despite experiencing triumph in his first Test as captain, Salman Butt has refused to stake long-term claims on Pakistan’s captaincy and has vowed to let his, and the team’s, performance dictate terms.

Salman was handed Pakistan’s Test captaincy following Shahid Afridi’s abrupt retirement after the 150-run loss to Australia at Lord’s in the first of the two Tests earlier this month. While he was only appointed captain for five Tests, Salman is already taking inspiration from Imran Khan as he heads into his second Test as captain - against England at Trent Bridge.

“Imran has been the greatest captain Pakistan have ever produced,” said Salman. “I’ve learnt a lot from watching him and I also watch current captains who do well in order to pick up good points. But Imran showed courage, he had an eye for talent and the way he plucked out youth off the streets and put them in the national side, that takes courage.

“He made them world-beaters from being nothing. And that shows skills of a great captain.”

Salman, who remains Pakistan’s highest run-scorer in Tests this year with 415 runs including half-centuries in each innings against Australia at Lord’s, backed his youngsters to become world-class batsmen, citing Pakistan’s ‘limited resources’ in Imran’s time and reminded the individuals on the need to work hard.

“Experience doesn’t come to anyone unless you go out and play. Nobody comes out of the house having played 50 Tests. You have to give them chances and back them through that time to become Mohammad Yousuf, Younus Khan and Inzamanul Haq. They, too, became stars when they performed in the middle and even Imran had limited resources but it was in his time that we were a potent force in the world.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29^th, 2010.