Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif impress on domestic return

Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif both made their domestic cricket comebacks today after serving a ban from all forms of cricket since the spot-fixing saga in 2010. Both last featured in a professional, ICC recognized cricket game at Lord’s in August 2010. Both are now representing WAPDA (Water and Power Development Authority) in the on-going PCB National One Day Cup 2015/16.

In their very first cricket game since the ban, they faced FATA in their Pool B match. WAPDA had named both of the cricketers in their starting XI and decided to bat first after winning the toss. Salman Butt started the innings for WAPDA and scored is 20th List-A century. He finished at 135 runs from 143 balls at a strike-rate of 94.4 which included 12 boundaries. Mohammad Asif opened the bowling for WAPDA and ended with match figures of 6-0-22-2 helping his team to the victory.

This fine performance from Salman and Asif has gotten them a lot of social media attention. Earlier, Mohammad Amir was the only one backed by PCB and has eventually made it back to the national team in only 4 months since his ban was lifted. Though PCB had made ‘stricter’ comeback plans for Salman and Asif but the national coach Waqar Younis feels that the pair should be given the same protocol as Amir. The coach said that the pair could even make an international comeback if they show form and fitness in the one-day championship.

“Why should anything be different for Butt an Asif? All three of them made the same mistake and all three have completed their punishments. So I don’t see having different conditions for them,” – said Waqar Younis on Sunday

With the national coach on their side, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif only have to take care of their form and fitness to be able to make a national comeback.