Pakistan captain Salman Butt has insisted recalling former skippers Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan is far from a miracle cure as his side tries to recover from a thumping defeat by England. Butt experienced the rollercoaster nature of life as Pakistan captain in a crushing 354-run loss in the first Test against England at Trent Bridge here on Sunday, just a week after the team marked the opening batsman's first match as skipper with a three-wicket win over Australia at Headingley.
Now Pakistan have just five days in which to turn things around before the second of a four-match series starts at Edgbaston on Friday after they were bowled out for just 80 - their lowest total against England - on Sunday. Pakistan had no answer as swing bowler James Anderson, albeit in helpful conditions, wreaked havoc with an astonishing return of six wickets for 17 runs in 15 overs that meant the tourists were never in with the remotest chance of chasing down what would have been a new world record fourth innings victory total of 435.
Azhar Ali and Umar Amin, batting in the key positions of three and four, managed just one run between them in the second innings slump in what was only their third Test after they each made their debuts in last month's 150-run loss to Australia at Lord's.
Yousuf and Younus were omitted from the squad from this tour as a result of the fall-out from disciplinary proceedings taken against the duo, along with several other players, by the Pakistan Cricket Board after a 3-0 series loss in Australia earlier this year.
Butt though insisted Pakistan had no option but to stick with the likes of Ali and Amin who both played at Headingley as the team ended a run of 15 years without a Test win over Australia. "Whoever is in the Pakistan team is there because of his ability and needs to be given time to show what they are capable of," the 25-year-old Butt, who inherited the captaincy after Shahid Afridi quit Test cricket following the loss at Lord's, told reporters.
Pakistan have now won just three out of their last 21 Tests and Butt, without naming names, said that was hardly a ringing endorsement of the players who were formerly in the side. "How many wins have Pakistan had with the people who were previously playing? Had we been winning with them in the team in the past two years then it could have been a mistake (to omit them).
"But the results were the same," the opening batsman added. "It was disappointing. Nobody expected this and we need to improve." Butt insisted the result at Trent Bridge might have been very different had Pakistan, like England, held their catches and he pointed out that the five-day gap between now and the second Test mirrored the break between the two Australia Tests.