3 min learnUp to date: Mar 10, 2026 05:59 PM IST
Former England cricketer Mark Butcher praised India after their T20 World Cup 2026 triumph whereas additionally criticising Pakistan for being caught in an obsession with private milestones over workforce good points. Butcher mentioned different groups might study from India’s transfer away from counting on “particular person superstars” for achievement.
“There’s fairly a stark distinction there in the best way that their neighbours from the north (west) in Pakistan are nonetheless caught within the thought of non-public milestones and particular person superstars. Gautam Gambhir, who’s had his detractors over his time in cost, has mainly walked away from that mantra and has constructed a workforce,” Butcher instructed Wisden.
Indian coach Gautam Gambhir had additionally emphasised his views on getting the outcomes and never working behind milestones.
After India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs within the T20 World Cup 2026 remaining in Ahmedabad on Sunday for his or her third T20 title, Gambhir mentioned, “For too lengthy in Indian cricket, we’ve spoken about milestones, and I hope, until I’m there, we’re not going to speak about milestones. You’ll be able to see it very simply as effectively. You’ll be able to see it within the final three video games, what Sanju [Samson] did – 97 not out, 89 and 89. Think about in case you would have been taking part in for a milestone, in all probability we wouldn’t have gotten 250. So I feel that is for you guys [media] as effectively. Cease celebrating milestones, have fun trophies. That’s going to be necessary, as a result of the larger function of a workforce sport is to be successful trophies. Scoring private runs has by no means mattered to me, and it’ll by no means matter to me.”
Pakistan’s opener Sahibzada Farhan ended up as the best run-getter of this version, however his workforce did not even attain the semifinals, getting knocked out within the Tremendous 8 stage.
Pakistan white-ball coach Mike Hesson had additionally identified the identical obsession with milestones. After taking up as the top coach of Pakistan’s white-ball workforce in Might 2025, Hesson had dropped star gamers Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi in his first T20I sequence as coach, in opposition to Bangladesh.
Hesson had then said that he wished gamers who play based on the wants of the workforce, moderately than chasing private milestones.
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“It turns into fairly obvious to everyone [if someone’s playing for personal milestones] that that’s what’s taking place, and it’s been taking place for years. I feel private milestones will simply occur in case you’re attempting to do the proper factor by the workforce, after which the workforce will have fun them. If we’d like 14 an over, a single down the bottom will not be going to make an enormous distinction. If you happen to’re trying to hit it someplace for 4 and you’ll’t – no drawback. But when we are able to let you know’re not choosing the bat up and also you’re simply attempting to bunt it for one to get your milestone, these milestones don’t actually matter if you find yourself shedding by 20. It’s all about context and doing no matter you’ll be able to to assist the workforce win the sport,” Hesson had mentioned to PCB final 12 months.
Months later, Babar made a comeback within the Pakistan workforce for the T20 World Cup however endured a horrid run with the bat, with the veteran struggling to even rating at a run a ball.