Former Pakistan opener Salman Butt was not at all impressed with ICC's promo for the upcoming ODI World Cup, which will be played in India on October-November this year. He lamented the absence of Pakistan skipper Babar Azam from the promo, stating the outrage by his fans was justified. Calling it “biased”, he drew an analogy by citing the examples of legendary cricketers MS Dhoni and Imran Khan not being included in the list of “best captains in history.”
"It is not a big deal. Babar is not dying to be in a promo. His fans aren't happy with this, and their anger is justified. It is like talking about the best batter in world cricket and not speaking about someone with hundred centuries, or discussing the best captains and forgetting MS Dhoni, Ian Chappell, and Imran Khan. It will surely look biased." Butt made the remarks while speaking on his YouTube channel.
If we look at the promo only Shaheen Shah Afridi was celebrated in the video, while others who also featured were Shadab Khan, Wahab Riaz, and Mohammad Amir. However, they were either going for runs or getting out in the 2:12 minutes long clip.
{{/usCountry}}If we look at the promo only Shaheen Shah Afridi was celebrated in the video, while others who also featured were Shadab Khan, Wahab Riaz, and Mohammad Amir. However, they were either going for runs or getting out in the 2:12 minutes long clip.
{{/usCountry}}Butt also claimed Babar was left out on purpose and it was not an honest mistake.
"They didn't forget him. It is a thing that has been going on for a long time now. It is not something that can be forgotten. The promo was not made by a kid who would have forgotten. This just shows the mindset of the people who made this promo. If World No.1 is missing from the World Cup advertisement, this tells your state of mind," he added.
Not just Butt but ex-Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar also rued the absence of Babar from the promo. He expressed his disappointment with an explosive tweet, calling the video a “joke”.
“Whoever thought that World Cup promo will be complete without Pakistan & Babar Azam's significant presence, has actually presented himself as a joke. Come on guys, time to grow up a bit,” wrote Akhtar.
Pakistan, whose participation is still subject to clearance from the government, will start their campaign against the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on October 6.
The team will meet arch rivals India at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15.