Last Update on: February 22nd, 2023 at 02:00 pm
Shoaib Akhtar received criticism from former Pakistani captain Salman Butt for his unexpected jibe at current Pakistan skipper Babar Azam.
Shoaib Akhtar, a former Pakistani speedster, caused an uproar earlier this week when he asserted that Babar Azam, the team’s current captain, is not a household name in the nation because he can’t speak English fluently.
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Akhtar challenged the national team’s character, criticising the players’ communication skills.
“The team has no personality, and they don’t know how to communicate. How awkward it appears when they arrive at the presentation. How difficult is it to learn and communicate in English? Cricket is one thing, and dealing with the media is quite another. I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to express yourself on TV,” Akhtar told Suno News.
The former pacer’s statements quickly gained notoriety following his interview, and Salman Butt, the former captain of Pakistan, retaliated against Akhtar. Butt spoke up for Babar Azam and said that rather than the communication problems, the attention should be on his cricketing prowess.
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“He is a great player. And for a cricketer, only his cricketing skills give him fame. Yes, fluency in communication and being an articulate speaker add to your charisma. But this is not a defect. If you’re not an expert in communication, if you’re not a natural, it’s not a defect,” Butt said on his official YouTube channel as he replied to Akhtar’s criticism.
“Babar Azam is a sensible person. If he doesn’t have a command of a second language, there is nothing bad about it. Many athletes speak their mother tongue intentionally at the top of the podium and ask the translator to convey the message. We should feel proud that we have ownership of our language,” Salman Butt added.