"Nobody wants to talk about merit" - Salman Butt after Pakistan's 360-run defeat in Test series opener against Australia

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt launched a scathing attack on the Pakistani team's management following the Men in Green's embarrassing loss to Australia in the Test series opener in Perth.

Australia secured a 360-run win in the first Test of the three-match series after bundling the visitors out for 89 runs in the fourth innings.

Butt opined that a few Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials indulging in favouritism has led to the side's downfall. The cricketer-turned-pundit said in his latest YouTube video:

"We have an unprofessional approach. We have failed because everyone wants to bring in people from their city or people they have good relations with. People who occupy the top seats must address this. However, despite being in a powerful position, they complain about a player from their region not getting a chance. Nobody wants to talk about merit."

Butt also slammed the approach of Pakistani batters during the first Test. He pointed out how even the senior batters of the team erred by playing on the front foot on the bouncy pitch, elaborating:

"I was quite surprised. Didn't the Pakistani players know that they had come to Perth? There was going to be pace and bounce there, but three of four batters got out while trying to play on the front foot. There is no need to go on the front foot on such wickets. Even Australian batters would get out here if they started playing drives. Even the guys who have toured Australia in the past played like that. The preparation to play on the back foot and score off good deliveries was completely missing."

Shan Masood and Co. will be hoping for a strong response in the second Test, which will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne from December 26 to 30.

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"Test cricket has not been a priority for Pakistan for a very long time now" - Salman Butt

Salman Butt highlighted how Australia looked like a far superior side compared to Pakistan in the recently concluded Test. He even claimed that Pakistan have not prioritised red-ball cricket.

Assessing the performances of the two teams, the 39-year-old added:

"Australia played like true champions. There was a clear difference between the two teams, giving us an idea of where both sides stand in Test cricket, from the understanding of the game to the skillset. We also got to know which team has prioritised Test cricket. Test cricket has not been a priority for Pakistan for a very long time now."

Pakistan's batting let them down at Peth, with Saud Shakeel being the only one to cross the 20-run mark in the fourth innings.

Pakistan have won two matches and lost one in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. They are placed second in the points table with a percentage of points (PCT) of 61.11. Australia, on the other hand, are fifth with three wins from five matches and a PCT of 41.67.