Salman Butt deserves to make a comeback, feels Waqar Younis

With Salman Butt displaying impressive form in the domestic circuit, there is considerable clamour in Pakistan to issue a recall to the tainted left-hander. Legendary speedster and former coach Waqar Younis has now joined in on the chorus.

“He (Butt) was playing really well and also he has served his sentence and punishment and I feel personally that everyone deserves a go. People are going to have different views. He is a good player, he is playing really well,” Waqar was quoted as saying to BT Sport.

Younis was Pakistan’s coach during the controversial tour to England in the summer of 2010. In the Lord’s Test, Butt was found to have conspired with the seam duo of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir to intentionally bowl no-balls for a predetermined sum of money.

As a consequence, the trio received bans as well as prison terms. Though all three of them have served their suspensions, only Amir has been able to return to the Pakistan team. Both Butt and Asif have been turning out for Water & Port Development Authority (WAPDA) in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

The opener led them to the title with his astute captaincy complementing batting returns of 741 runs from 10 matches at an average of 49.40 including 4 centuries and 2 fifties. He has publicly announced his intentions of making a comeback into the Pakistan side who are struggling to find a suitable combination at the top of the order. While Sami Aslam is steadily establishing himself, the lack of options has forced the selectors to promote Azhar Ali as a makeshift opening batsman.

When Waqar almost stepped down as coach after the spot-fixing episode

Even though quite a few international players have stated their opposition to Butt’s comeback, Waqar has always remained stoic in his stance. He was the one who had to bear the brunt of Butt’s nefarious activities. Recalling the aftermath of the spot-fixing scandal, the 45-year old earlier revealed that he even thought of stepping down as coach.

“We all were very upset with the whole episode and everyone was down and out, and we couldn't really play the next day. Even at one stage, I thought 'that's it, do I really want to work, do I really want to carry on with this whole thing?' I went back and I spoke to my family and I couldn't really leave the team at the time. I went back and thought about it and I wanted to back these guys. It's not their fault, it's maybe one or two who have done it,” Waqar had said to ESPNcricinfo’s Talking Cricket in August.

However, it remains to be seen whether the Pakistan selection panel (led by Inzamam-ul-Haq) go on to hand a recall to Butt or refuse to consider his case.