An all-out attack was launched against Mohammed Shami by the former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt over the India pacer Mohammad Shami‘s remarks against Inzamam-ul-Haq. Mohammed Shami blasted legendary Pakistani cricketer Inzamam-ul-Haq after the batting icon made a sensational accusation of ball tampering against Team India in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Recovering from an ankle injury in the ongoing season, pacer Mohammad Shami rubbished Inzamam claims after the former Pakistan skipper targeted Arshdeep Singh and insisted India had “worked on the ball” to generate reverse swing against at the ICC World Cup.
Mohammad Shami lashes out at former Pakistan legend Inzamam Ul Haq
In his conversation with Shubhankar Mishra on YouTube show Unplugged, Mohammad Shami reacted strongly to Inzamam’s bizarre allegations. Since India and Pakistan are arch-rivals, Mohammad Shami opined that critics would target players like Arshdeep as Pakistan cricketers only try to fool people. For the unversed, India skipper Rohit Sharma had also retaliated after Inzamam accused the India pacer of ball-tampering at the ICC event.
With Mohammad Shami schooling Inzamam on a podcast, former Pakistani skipper Salman Butt lashed out at the pace spearhead for taking potshots at the batting legend. Disheartened by Shami’s statement, former Pakistan skipper Butt said that Mohammad Shami targeted Inzamam with his ‘below the belt’ remark. Sharing his views on YouTube, Salman Butt also admitted that Pakistan should not pick teams based on relations and friendships.
Salman Butt on Indian pacer Mohammad Shami’s comments on Pakistan’s team selection post WC 2024 debacle
Salman Butt believes Team India’s Mohammed Shami targeted former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq by commenting on Pakistan’s team selection. He opined that the veteran pacer took a potshot at Inzamam, suggesting that he was biased towards his nephew, Imam-ul-Haq, during his stint as chief selector.
Speaking on journalist Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel, Mohammad Shami had stated that Pakistan should avoid taking digs at India and should instead focus on improving their selection. The 33-year-old made a sarcastic remark, saying that the Men in Green should make the national side a family team if they want to select players based on friendships and personal relations.
Mohammad Shami said during the podcast
“I don’t understand why people find it necessary to target others. Improve your selection, and send a good team, they can do it, the talent is there. Do one thing, make it a family team if you want to run the team based on personal relations.”
Butt seemed unimpressed by Shami’s statement, as he felt that the Indian seamer targeted Inzamam. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the ex-Pakistan skipper said:
“Pakistan should not pick teams based on relations and friendships. Mohammed Shami’s comments were targeted towards Inzamam-ul-Haq. He targeted Inzamam by speaking about Pakistan picking their team based on personal relations, and I think this is wrong.
This is wrong because if you look at Imam’s record, he came into the Pakistan team on the basis of his performance. He was also dropped when he failed. Shami’s remarks were below the belt and he shouldn’t have said such things.”
During the podcast, Mohammed Shami also slammed Inzamam-ul-Haq for indirectly accusing the Indian bowlers of tampering with the ball in the recently concluded 2024 T20 World Cup.
“To say things about selecting players just because they are relatives is a dirty hit” – Salman Butt on Mohammed Shami
Salman Butt further added that accusing India of ball tampering was unnecessary. He pointed out that Inzamam-ul-Haq had a role to play in the controversy and Indian skipper Rohit Sharma also reacted to it during a media interaction ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinals.
The cricketer-turned-expert reckoned that the topic ended with Sharma’s clarification and Mohammed Shami should have avoided stirring up another controversy with his recent comments on Pakistan’s team selection.
Butt elaborated:
“Yes, there was a controversy, which should’ve been avoided. A lot of people made statements, Inzamam also said something, Rohit Sharma also clarified, and the topic was over. But to say things about selecting players just because they are relatives is a dirty hit. Such things don’t suit Mohammed Shami. He is a renowned bowler, like how Inzamam was a renowned captain.”
It is worth mentioning that Mohammed Shami did not name Inzamam-ul-Haq while speaking about Pakistan’s team selection.