Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt has lashed out at South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock who on Thursday made a shocking announcement regarding his retirement from Test cricket to spend more time with family.
Quinton de Kock on Thursday played his last Test against India at the SuperSport Park, Centurion where the Proteas side lost the match by the big margin of 113 runs. Also, in the match, Quinton de Kock played the knocks of 34 and 21 runs.
Speaking on his YouTube channel former Pakistan captain Salman Butt said that the players taking sudden retirement spoil the balance of the team. He said:
“Quinton de Kock had been playing strange cricket for the last year and a half. He came to Pakistan as captain but did not continue in the role afterwards. Now, after playing one Test, he has announced his (Test) retirement. Such things spoil the team’s balance, the selection policy and affect the captain’s mindset.”
Butt added that cricketers have made sudden retirement a drama, he lashed out at De Kock and asked why a player don’t think about family while playing overseas T20 leagues. He said:
“Players have made sudden retirement a drama. Don’t you think of family when you play overseas leagues for nearly 2 months? Why is it that only Test cricket comes in the way? You are playing cricket in your own country in South Africa. This lack of interest is related to league cricket.”
Butt further said that he has no good words for De Kock’s retirement, he added that the cricketers have started feeling that playing league cricket is enough for them. He asserted:
“Because cricket boards do not have a say in this, it is freedom at the cost of… I can’t explain. But some cricketers have started feeling that playing league cricket is enough. Why do they need to do the hard yards in Test cricket? This is not the attitude to play international cricket. Sorry, I have no good words for Quinton de Kock’s retirement.”
The team for the same was picked on Friday by the Sharma-led selection panel.
"Look, absolutely (he has) got the opportunity at the right time. He was in the T20 team and also now he is in the ODI team, wherever his place can be made, selectors are thinking he will go and do wonders for the country," Sharma said at the team selection press conference.
The 24-year-old Ruturaj, who hails from Pune, was the leading scorer in the 2021 Indian Premier League, after he amassed a staggering 635 runs and played a key role in Chennai Super Kings winning the title.
According to Sharma, Ruturaj was rewarded for his stellar performance.
"We have selected him (Ruturaj). Now it is up to the (team) management to see when he can play in the XI, when he is required and how to go about the combination, these things we will coordinate.
"But, at present, he (Ruturaj) was in the T20 side also against New Zealand and he is in ODI now. He is doing well and he is rewarded for that," added Sharma, himself a former India pacer.
After his IPL high, the opener continued his dazzling form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy too and was the leading scorer there, aggregating 603 runs from five matches with 168 as his highest score.
He made his T20I debut against Sri Lanka last July at Colombo.
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