Cricket: Ex-Pakistan captain Salman Butt named Singapore's consulting head coach

Batsman Salman Butt was part of the Pakistan national team from 2003 to 2010. PHOTO: SALMAN BUTT/INSTAGRAM

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Cricket Association (SCA) has appointed former Pakistan captain and batsman Salman Butt as the national team consulting head coach for the 2022 season.

The 37-year-old, who was part of the Pakistan national team from 2003 to 2010, will have only about two months to get his men ready.

His first assignment - the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe - takes place in July. It is followed by the Asia Cup qualifiers in Sri Lanka in August and the ICC Men's Challenge League A in Canada.

With the pandemic putting training and competitive cricket on hold, SCA chief executive Saad Khan Janjua hopes that Butt's abilities and experience would pull the players out from this "black hole" and get them to play their best within the shortest time.

Butt, who retired from playing in 2020, was named as the 12th man in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) World ODI (One Day International) Team of the Year in 2008.

Saad said: "Butt is an accomplished player with experience that can push the players to the next level. Our team, comprising youth and experienced players, can benefit from Salman's skill sets and he may well be the ingredient that can make us a complete team.

"We think he will bring value and show the path forward for our players to lift their confidence."

Under former coach Dav Whatmore, Singapore won the 2020 Asian Cricket Council Eastern region T20 tournament after defeating Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong to finish unbeaten with seven points. Their last fixture against Nepal was abandoned due to rain.

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