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Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has picked England all-rounder Ben Stokes over legendary Imran Khan in his all-time ODI XI.
Appearing on a sports podcast, Butt was asked to pick an all-time ODI XI, with no more than two players from one country.
The southpaw picked star players from India, West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and England. He chose Ben Stokes as captain while Proteas batting maestro AB de Villiers was slotted in as an opener and wicket-keeper.
The middle order featured Brian Lara, Viv Richards, Kumar Sangakara, and Virat Kohli.
Butt’s bowling attack combined spin and pace: Abdul Qadir and Muttiah Muralitharan provided the spin options, while Wasim Akram led the fast bowling unit alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Jacques Kallis, with Stokes offering an additional seam option.
However, the most notable omission was Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan.
Explaining his decision, Salman Butt pointed to the balance of the side.
“Two spinners, three genuine fast bowlers — and because Jacques Kallis also bowled at 140 km/h, plus there’s Ben Stokes as well,” he said.
When asked about leaving Imran Khan out, Butt praised his status, alongside highlighting the team’s needs and modern-day cricket.
“Yes, he didn’t fit into this team. As an all-rounder, Ben Stokes was my choice,” he explained.
“He couldn’t find a place, what can we do? I’m not denying Imran Khan’s greatness—he’s a far superior cricketer, and Pakistan has probably produced very few players better than him. But if you look at the context and also consider today’s cricket, it’s not the same as the era in which he excelled,” he explained.
“If you bring any of those players into modern cricket, even one of them, you have to consider everything — fitness levels, their performances over time, their match-winning ability, their leadership, their multiple roles. That’s how I looked at it when I made my ODI XI,” Butt added.
He further clarified his picks, explaining that he had picked players with modern-day cricket parameters in mind.
“Yes, I was asked for an ODI XI, but I tried to consider players across generations. From India, I picked Bumrah and Virat Kohli. Now, of course, people will ask — where is Tendulkar? But the parameters were already given. You have to see how players would also fit into modern cricket,” he concluded.
Salman Butt All-Time ODI XI:
Brian Lara, Kumar Sangakkara, Viv Richards, Virat Kohli, Ben Stokes (C), AB de Villiers (WK), Jacques Kallis, Abdul Qadir, Muttiah Muralitharan, Wasim Akram, Jasprit Bumrah
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