Defining knock by Salman

[Farhad]

Low-scoring match against the arch rivals in their backyard, and he scores 67, and that too in the most accomplished of fashions, looking confident and resolute. Now I know he has not been that consistent of late, but has played some truly admirable knocks including that beautiful 129 in the ODI Series, and is easily the best available opener we have.

Most crucially, he has the biggest ally in the skipper who is his close friend. And credit to Salman for coming good on the faith put in him by Shoaib Malik. All the more reason to believe that Salman Butt is most deserving and is here to stay now. I'm really happy for him.

[Usman Chadda]

Yes, the best available opener we have. But I do think he needs to convert his starts and make big hundreds. Time and time again we have seen him throw it all way when he goes past his half-century. We need an opener who can play big innings at the top. Salman is capable of that and I hope he realizes that soon

[Momo]

Not because Salman played well today, but I have always believed that Bob Woolmer really wreaked havoc with Salman's career when he was playing very well and had just failed on a few occasions.

Hamaare opening situation ka naas maarne mein major haath Bob Woolmer ka raha hai!

Now that Butt is back, we should never be foolish enough to fall for knee-jerk reactions and let him play for a while.

[Easa]

He's been our best opener for a long time now but I guess the selectors don't realize that. He needs to be given a consistent run in all forms of the game, because he is always going to be better than the likes of Hafeez, Nazir etc. Not only is he talented, he actually makes use of the talent and he has good temperament. Against England in 2005, we were behind by 100+ runs and he chose that moment to come up with the goods and played brilliantly.

He played another good innings today and hardly looked in trouble, I hope he continues this throughout the Test series.

[Farhad]

Originally Posted by Momo Not because Salman played well today, but I have always believed that Bob Woolmer really wreaked havoc with Salman's career when he was playing very well and had just failed on a few occasions. Hamaare opening situation ka naas maarne mein major haath Bob Woolmer ka raha hai!

So true. Even Shoaib Malik said that when he became skipper that Salman should never have been dropped. Whenever I met him in the times he was out of the team last year, he should resoluteness and firm belief in his conversations that he would prove Woolmer and Inzi both wrong, and that he did.

It's unimaginable that a batsman who can score a ton and an 80 Downunder in his first tour against the likes of McGrath and Warne, when the skipper mustered a single run in the whole Series, could be dropped. Such excellent knocks in the most demanding of settings can only be played by someone who has brilliant potential and thus should be stuck with for a reasonably long period of time even when he has failed to deliver.

[Momo]

Originally Posted by Farhad It's unimaginable that a batsman who can score a ton and an 80 Downunder in his first tour against the likes of McGrath and Warne, when the skipper mustered a single run in the whole Series, could be dropped.

Exactly. And all those high-voltage ODI centuries against India that won us matches at different venues against an Indian team that wasnt a push-over anymore.

This is my problem with Pakistani management. They are the only team that tinker with a working formula. Butt at No.1 and Malik at No.3 was working so well for us, yet it was abandoned for no reason at all!
I am glad sense has prevailed and Butt is back, albeit after a couple of years in and out. Lets hope he is given a reasonable run now.

[The Godfather]

if he is hiven a run in the team then he will become in to a class player a magnificent innings today under pressure but played some super shots not to sure about hammeed though

[TaZ]

ive been saying for years on pp that this guy is the best test opener we have

[Tay'yab-Ali Malik]

Since his first tour of Aus I have always believed he will be star for Pak.

He has the remarkable quality of playing the ball very late which is only possessed by a few great batsman.

Even if he fails in both the 2nd & 3rd Tests he should be persisted with as we did with farhat & hafeez.

Butt has scored more hundreds as an opener than any of the openers tried & tested since 2003.

[Daoud]

Seems like the thread where us Salman Butt supporters can say 'I told you so', but its up to him to back up this performance with a few more in his next innings

[Salman]

I just hope he can learn to play on green tops on day, definetly a star for Pak, have belived that since watching his first ODI knock and ton during which he was also suffering from Butt cramps.

He has shown enough to cement his place our premier opener for a while, he needs to be playing for one of the UK counties next season if he's really wants to mature as an international cricketer.

[Inswinger]

Salman Butt is 1/2 the solution. Hameed seems too nervous in the begining of the innings

[Legendary_Sage]

Guys what do u think of Khalid Latif and Khurram Manzoor they are very good openers as well.
Butt has the flaw that he stretch his arms to meet the ball while playing that is a dangerous ploy on green tops.His foot movement is not convincing.
Why do u guys 4got to mention the other ignored guy ASIM Kamal.though he is not an opener but he is also ignored and bhanja got favour.

[Mohsin]

Originally Posted by Inswinger Salman Butt is 1/2 the solution. Hameed seems too nervous in the begining of the innings

That's maybe because of the treatment he's gotten by the PCB. We must sit him down and say to him the YOU will play for this team along with Salman (at least in test's, with Imran Nazir along Salman in ODI's) non-stop for the next 8/12 months. We have to give him that thought in his mind that if he does fail he won't be kicked out straight away. He was the same when he came back against the South African's.

[the_game]

Butt was treated really, really unfairly on the last tour to India (where he failed in the first test and was dropped for the next two matches). One good thing that Malik has done (yes, that is a rarity) is that he has assured the openers a place in the side for the series. Butt will score more runs in this series Inshallah, looks in great touch and hit some fantastic shots yesterday.

[octavian]

I dont know who to thank for so i will Thank Allah for saving pakistan from another tragedy of epic proportions, that would have been wasting a batsman like Salman Butt.

The game of musical chair that Woolmer and Inzi played with our openers was a huge crime in itself but perhaps even bigger crime was dropping Salman in the last tour to india, when he has scored a century and an 80 odd vs australia in australia.

I hope he scores more runs in this series, watching him bat is pure pleasure.

I know people will kill me for saying this but Imran Nazir was another one that cud have been developed in a great test opener but was treated the same way as Salman and sadly he didnt have the mental strength to last through that period was duly reduced to a slogger.

[PlanetPakistan]

Originally Posted by octavian I dont know who to thank for so i will Thank Allah for saving pakistan from another tragedy of epic proportions, that would have been wasting a batsman like Salman Butt. The game of musical chair that Woolmer and Inzi played with our openers was a huge crime in itself but perhaps even bigger crime was dropping Salman in the last tour to india, when he has scored a century and an 80 odd vs australia in australia. I hope he scores more runs in this series, watching him bat is pure pleasure. I know people will kill me for saying this but Imran Nazir was another one that cud have been developed in a great test opener but was treated the same way as Salman and sadly he didnt have the mental strength to last through that period was duly reduced to a slogger.

...that's what i have been saying for a long time! Glad some one agrees with me.

[octavian]

Originally Posted by PlanetPakistan ...that's what i have been saying for a long time! Glad some one agrees with me.

Imran Nazir is pure class when he chooses to be and i am sure there are a lot of ppl who will agree with us

[Amoeba]

Being the best current Pakistani opening batsman is akin to being the best English Goalkeeper. It doesn't necessarily make you a good player. Butt is our best hope but still plays too far away from his body and has a complete inability to get back and across which suggests that he will be a walking wicket on a pitch with more pace and juice. In fact it was these very technical deficiencies (not to mention the inability to read Kumble's googly) that contributed largely to his downfall.

For now let's forget about future battles and concentrate purely on the matter in hand. He played very well today and should be praised. Well done.

[Showman]

Originally Posted by octavian Imran Nazir is pure class when he chooses to be and i am sure there are a lot of ppl who will agree with us

Yea, Nazir has a great deal of talent...amazing reflexes and timing, thats why its so frustrating to see him struggle and try to slog every ball.

[Mercenary]

It was a good knock and he's played well all tour but can we stop talking like he's Saeed Anwar reborn. He'll have to perform against better bowling than India's to stake a place as one of the best.

Salman has always battered the Indian bowling and whilst I'm a fan of his I think we're going a bit overboard on the basis of one good tour against his bunnies!!

[Geordie Ahmed]

Spot on Merc - he is a good batsman at best BUT has largely been average

He has an average of 28.33 in test matches, the much slated Imran Nazir,Imran Farhat and Mohammad Hafeez have better averages than that

[moz]

Butt and Hameed should be persisted with.

[Momo]

Originally Posted by Showman Yea, Nazir has a great deal of talent...amazing reflexes and timing, thats why its so frustrating to see him struggle and try to slog every ball.

Nazir should partner Butt in ODIs. Good thing about him is that he doesnt waste deliveries (which are a precious commodity in ODIs), plus he is a good fielder.
However Yasir Hameed should be persisted with in Tests.