The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Salman Butt talks tough

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Sunday, Nov 04, 2007
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Sport - Cricket

Salman Butt talks tough

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Salman Butt is known for his aggressive approach. Continuing with his dashing ways, the left-hander is making a strong bid to win back his place in the one-day squad but does not feel that S. Sreesanth would try his own brand of aggression against Pakistan.

“If Sreesanth does it to me then I’ll see what is to be done in the middle, but I am sure he won’t try with us,” said Butt who himself has received criticism for his devil-may-care approach in the past.

Time well spent

Butt, having chosen to step down from vice-captaincy in June to concentrate on his batting, said he needed time to take up the responsibility. “I was one of the youngest vice-captains for Pakistan and it came very early in my career. When I was out of the team, I used the time to work on my batting,” said Butt.

Passions

Talking about the passion with which the people in India and Pakistan watch cricket, Butt observed, “There is a difference in how a normal viewer sees (India-Pakistan cricket) as compared to the discerning viewers, who understand the details of the game, the conditions, the pitches and make a proper assessment.”

When asked to compare the shorter versions of the game with Test cricket, Butt said, “Twenty20 and ODIs have their places but real cricket is Test cricket.”

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