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Former Pakistan opener Salman Butt has shared his views on the fitness levels within the national cricket team as they prepare for their upcoming Test series against Bangladesh. While he acknowledged the impressive fitness of certain players, he also raised concerns about the overall fitness and preparation of the team.
Top 3 fittest players in the Pakistan squad
Butt commended Shan Masood, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan as the fittest players in the Pakistan squad, omitting great batter Babar Azam. He emphasized that these players have demonstrated exceptional fitness levels, consistently achieving high scores in Yo-Yo tests and showcasing strong performance both in the gym and on the field. According to Butt, they are among the top ten fittest players in world cricket. He praised their dedication and physical conditioning, noting their significant contributions to the team’s performance and fitness standards.
“You cannot say all the players are not fit. If you look at some of the players they are among the top 10 players in terms of fitness in World cricket. You can look at Shan Masood, Fakhar Zaman, and Mohammad Rizwan, you look at their fitness, they have achieved good scores in the Yo-Yo Tests. They are good in the gym and run well on the field,” Butt said in a video on his Youtube channel.
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Salman Butt concerns about overall Team fitness
Despite praising individual players, Butt expressed his concerns regarding the overall fitness of the Pakistan team. He pointed out that while some players are exceptionally fit, the team’s general fitness growth and preparation are not at the desired levels. He criticized the tendency to generalize the fitness of the entire team without acknowledging the hard work of those who maintain high fitness standards.
Butt stressed that the current narrative unfairly paints the entire team as unfit, overshadowing the efforts of the players who are in excellent shape. He emphasized that the issue lies in the overall development and management of fitness, rather than the dedication of individual players.
“Things are not getting developed in the way they should be. When this happens, the entire team is blamed unfit, people won’t look at fit guys even though all the players are hardworking.. The entire Pakistan is talking about the fitness of the team and it brought a storm in Pakistan, players at the junior level were asked to run. This came after people said players weren’t fit in the T20 World Cup 2024. No one questioned the physios or trainers, but instead, they started making players at the district level push hard for fitness. Those who made errors are still there,” the 39-year-old added.
Management of fast bowlers
Butt also highlighted the specific issue of managing fast bowlers. He noted that many fast bowlers do not participate in longer formats or first-class cricket, which affects their fitness and performance in Test matches. He called for better management and support for fast bowlers to enhance their development and ensure their readiness for longer formats of the game.
“You need to manage fast bowlers, the problem is they don’t play longer format, they don’t feature in FC cricket, we don’t play much Test cricket. Things are not getting developed in the way they should be. When this happens, the entire team is blamed unfit, people won’t look at fit guys even though all the players are hardworking,” Butt concluded.
Upcoming series and recent performance challenges
The Pakistan cricket team is set to face Bangladesh in a two-Test series, with matches scheduled to take place in Rawalpindi and Karachi starting August 21. Butt’s remarks come in the wake of a challenging period for Pakistan cricket, including a disappointing T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, where the team was eliminated before the Super Eights. Additionally, Pakistan exited the ODI World Cup 2023 before the semi-final stage and suffered a 0-3 series defeat in Australia.
