#360view: Amir opened door for Butt, Asif

Ajit Vijaykumar 21:02 17/12/2016
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  • Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar wants disgraced opener Salman Butt back in the national team “as soon as possible”.

    Pakistan are struggling with the bat, have lost three Tests in a row (against West Indies and New Zealand) and are now staring at a nightmare start to the Australia series. With veterans Misbah-ul Haq and Younis Khan nearing the end of their careers, Pakistan need experience in the batting department and hence the demand from Akhtar.

    But it’s not so simple, is it. The culprits of the 2010 spot-fixing scandal might have been punished but there are many who squirm at the idea of allowing them back at the highest level. The youngest of the three involved in the saga – Mohammad Amir – is already in the team and has played across all formats for a year.

    Amir was fast tracked into the team after he served his five-year ban because he has age on his side – he is just 24 – and also because he is still an exceptional bowler. So after his rehabilitation process was over and certain disgruntled members of the Pakistan team, mainly ODI skipper Azhar Ali, were placated, the left arm pacer was allowed to get on with his game.

    But what about Butt and Mohammad Asif? They too have paid the price for their act and have now started the reintegration process by going through the grind of domestic cricket. The left handed Butt is in cracking form in first-class cricket.

    On the radar

    In his last five first-class matches in Pakistan, Butt scored four centuries. In fact, Butt scored a century on his return to competitive cricket – in the National One Day Cup earlier this year. So while Amir came back into the team more on reputation and less on form, Butt is actually piling on the runs while demanding a place in the team.

    Right arm pacer Asif too isn’t far behind. In his last four first-class matches, Asif returned figures of 4-29, 3-41, 3-90 and 4-33 in an innings. Those numbers can’t be simply brushed aside. Once Amir was given an opportunity to atone for his mistakes, Butt and Asif were surely going to get their hopes up.

    The idea that Amir was allowed to return because he was just a teenager when he committed the crime and accepted his mistake early on, unlike Butt and Asif, is fair but that won’t stop Butt and Asif from seeking what they feel is within their right.

    All three players were caught in the scandal, banned and then allowed to play competitive cricket again. While you and me can always debate whether Amir was a naive teenager in 2010 and therefore deserves to represent Pakistan more than Butt and Asif, it’s not up to us.

    If former players like Akhtar and Waqar Younis believe all three need to be given a chance, some people in Pakistan’s establishment might be inclined to do so. Those who accepted Amir’s comeback should also remember that the other two players will try their best to play international cricket again.

    After a call was taken on the reintroduction of Amir, it was only a matter of time before the other two players put their hands up. So, we have to deal with it now.

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