Salman Butt: “If he continues performing like this, he could soon find himself in the Pakistan team – and they certainly need a player like him. His confidence was exceptional, making his presence on the field impossible to ignore”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt believes big-hitting batsman Abdul Samad could find himself getting selected in the national team soon if he keeps performing like he has.
Samad has seen his stock rise significantly following a string of impressive knocks in domestic cricket.
During the Champions One-Day Cup, which was a domestic 50-over competition that took place in Faisalabad, the 26-year-old played for the Markhors.
In six matches, he amassed 145 runs, which included a top score of 62, at an average of 24.16 and a strike-rate of 122.88.
He then represented Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in the President’s Cup Grade-I (1-Day) tournament and amassed 92 runs at an average of 23 and a strike-rate of 81.41.
Salman noted that in addition to showcasing his firepower, Samad also exuded an “exceptional” level of confidence.
He added that Pakistan “certainly need a player” like the Faisalabad native as he possesses all the right traits.
“If he continues performing like this, he could soon find himself in the Pakistan team – and they certainly need a player like him. His confidence was exceptional, making his presence on the field impossible to ignore,” he said in a post on Facebook.
The Pakistan team recently took on Bangladesh in a two-Test series and were beaten 2-0.
They are now facing England in a three-match Test series, which is tied at 1-1.
The third Test will start on October 24 in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan Squad for 2nd and 3rd Tests against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Zahid Mahmood.