Salman Butt has harshly criticised supporters who claimed that Afghanistan’s players were more motivated to do well at the just finished T20 World Cup 2024 because they were aware of the challenging circumstances their fellow countrymen endure at home.
Afghanistan advanced to the T20 World Cup 2024 semifinals after defeating opponents such as Australia, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, among others, under the captaincy of legendary all-rounder Rashid Khan. They had never before advanced to a World Cup semifinal. Cricket enthusiasts worldwide gave the Blue Tigers a lot of credit for their competitive performance in the major tournament. The unstable situation back home, according to some supporters and analysts, served as motivation for the Afghanistan team.
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This school of thought was refuted, although, by former Pakistan captain Butt, who gave instances of nations like Australia and India that consistently do well at ICC competitions despite not having these kinds of issues at home. The former opener acknowledged the Afghanistan team’s love for the game but said it wouldn’t be enough to win them World Cups.
“What do the Pakistani athletes say? It’s said that players from Afghanistan become more motivated when reminded of the circumstances in their nation. But since Australia doesn’t have any problems of this kind, how come they always win? Although they are still quite consistent, the conditions in India are likewise excellent. Did they wage a war to guarantee a successful game for their team? It’s okay up to a point. That’s about it. I get that they are enthusiastic about the game and come from challenging circumstances. Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Butt stated, “On this basis, you cannot become world champions.”
If they only have two hitters, how will they win? Salman Butt
The opening combination of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran produced scores of 103, 118, and 59 in Afghanistan’s victories over New Zealand, Australia, and Bangladesh. It isn’t possible to win championships with just two hitters, butt, a former cricket player turned analyst, slammed those who thought Afghanistan should have won the championship match.
Someone mentioned that Afghanistan ought to have prevailed. With only two batters, how will they win? They should win the World Cup, many said, and nobody was left after their openers. What kind of reasoning is this? A squad is not always complete after two wins, according to Butt.
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