‘Didn’t expect this from a world-class captain’: Salman Butt takes cheeky dig at Sourav Ganguly

Former Pakistan captain Salman has subtly criticized his former Indian counterpart, Sourav Ganguly, for his recent comment about the Indian Premier League (IPL) being tougher than International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments, following the World Test Championship final.

Salman, who is 38 years old, stated that there is simply no comparison between league cricket and Test cricket. He emphasized that the majority of local players participate in the T20 tournament, whereas international cricket is reserved for core professionals.

“Someone asked [me for my opinion] that Ganguly has said that IPL is tougher than WTC. I am shying away from any comment because I did not expect a world-class player and a captain to speak in such a way,” Butt said on his YouTube channel.

“There is no comparison between League cricket and Test cricket. Miles apart. It’s the ultimate thing in cricket. The other is a local thing where seven players are local and four professionals. I don’t see any comparison,” he continued.

Butt emphasized that Test cricket reigns supreme in the world of cricket and was taken aback by Ganguly’s differing perspective.

“It’s an unnecessary opinion or debate. You can ask any player in the world. I am surprised to hear this. He could have said that it’s tough to see because when you watch a lot of T20 cricket, it’s tough to watch [Test cricket],” he said.

For the uninitiated, Ganguly’s opinion came after Rohit Sharma-led India lost to Australia in the WTC 2023 final. 

“I have full faith in Rohit. He and MS Dhoni have won 5 IPL titles. Winning the IPL isn’t easy because it’s a tough tournament. Winning the IPL is more difficult than winning a World Cup as there are 14 matches after which you take part in the playoffs,” the former BCCI President told Aaj Tak.

“In the World Cup, it takes only 4-5 matches for a place in the semis. In the IPL, it takes 17 matches for you to become champions,” he added.

Salman stated that there is simply no comparison between T20 and Test cricket. He emphasized that the longer version of the game truly puts players’ skill, patience, and fitness to the test, among other crucial factors.

India and Pakistan will play 19 and 14 games, respectively, in the next World Test Championship cycle.

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