The Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has branded team-mate Salman Butt "selfish" after being run out by the opener to leave the tourists in a seemingly hopeless position at the end of day two of the third Test against Australia. Butt not only ran out his captain and his team's best batsman in the last 30 minutes of play but then compounded his error by doing the same shortly after to his team's next-best batsman, Umar Akmal.
The two costly run-outs left Pakistan on 94 for four at stumps at Bellerive Oval in reply to Australia's massive first-innings total of 519 for eight declared, still needing another 226 runs to avoid the follow-on.The Australia captain, Ricky Ponting, said after the end of play he would likely enforce the follow-on given the forecast of rain for each of the last three days of this match.
"We are not playing for self, we are playing for country," said Yousuf, who also branded Butt "lazy", at the close of play. "I am 35 years old, he is 25 years old, why not take three runs?"
The Yousuf run-out occurred after the Pakistan captain had played a splendid off-drive off Doug Bollinger and, having run two, called for an easily-achievable third run. But, despite the fact it was Yousuf that was running to the danger end, Butt stood his ground at the non-striker's end, leaving his captain stranded - as he would also do later when Akmal called for a single off the bowling of Nathan Hauritz. Yousuf lingered for what seemed an eternity after the run-out as he glared at his partner before trudging from the field.
"I just stopped there and didn't say anything but I was very sad because of him," said Yousuf. "He is just 25 years old and he can't run and that is why I was just standing there."
Yousuf said Butt, who ended the day not out on 34 - and along with not-out batsman Shoaib Malik is the team's last remaining specialist batsman - now owes his team a big innings when play resumes tomorrow.
"We will try to lift him and play out the whole day tomorrow," he said of Butt. "We are not out of the match still and maybe both players can bat until tomorrow evening."
But Yousuf admitted his team faced a huge task to prevent a record 12th successive Test defeat at the hands of Australia. "It will be difficult for us to save the game now but it's a very flat wicket. And if we play for country and try to survive sessions and not go for runs then maybe we can save the game."