"He is rested for one series and then brought back for another" - Salman Butt on Virat Kohli playing selective cricket

Former Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt recently pointed out how India's Virat Kohli struggled with his batting form even before the rescheduled fifth Test against England.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, he highlighted how Kohli hasn't featured in India's squad consistently in recent times. He opined that giving frequent rest to a player may not be the right approach and that the selectors should rather give him an extended break and then ask him to play regularly.

Butt added that losing the captaincy may have also taken a toll on Kohli.

He stated:

"Virat Kohli was already going through a lean patch. Kohli also lost the captaincy in all three formats. I can't comprehend why the Test captaincy was taken away from him.

"He is being rested for one series and then brought back for another series. Instead, a player should be rested for a considerable amount of time and then should be there in the side for all matches."

Butt also reacted to the heated exchange that took place between Virat Kohli and Jonny Bairstow during the Edgbaston Test. He mentioned that these incidents are bound to happen and blamed the English media for blowing it out of proportion.

He added:

"You get hostile press in England and they never fail to seize such moments. They look to capitalize on such incidents. Both Virat Kohli and Jonny Bairstow are very passionate cricketers and even if there was a heated argument between them, it's only limited to the field.

"Bairstow clarified in his press conference that the two are good friends and there are no such issues between them. These things are part and parcel of the game, especially when a lot of things are at stake."

Meanwhile, Kohli failed to make a significant impact with the bat in the rescheduled fifth Test against England. The right-hander had scores of 11 and 20 in the fixture.

He will be aiming to make amends by coming up with an improved performance in the upcoming white-ball leg of the tour.

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"Jasprit Bumrah could have put in more effort" - Salman Butt on Team India's stand-in captain's performance in 5th Test vs ENG

Butt reckoned that the side would have had a better chance of defending their total of 378 if Bumrah had bowled more overs in the final innings. He remarked that the right-armer could have put in some extra effort with the ball, as it was just a one-off Test.

He added:

"Jasprit Bumah was India's main bowler and he picked up three wickets. This is why I feel he should have bowled more overs in the final innings. Moreover, this was just a one-off Test and hence he could have put in more effort."

India and England are now set to lock horns in three T20Is and as many ODIs. The T20I series opener between India and England is scheduled to be played in Southampton on Thursday, July 7.