Former Pakistan batter Salman Butt criticized his countryman Mohammad Hafeez for voicing the national team’s issues on the international stage. Butt accused Hafeez of failing to take appropriate action during his tenure as the men’s team director, arguing that complaining about problems now is in vain.

During a recent appearance on the Club Prairie Fire Podcast, the 43-year-old Hafeez spoke with Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan. In the conversation, Hafeez recalled the alarmingly low fitness levels of players in his coaching stint and claimed that cricketers would often sleep in the dressing room during Test matches.

In his appearance on the show Cricket Baithak, the 39-year-old Butt criticized the former all-rounder for failing to address the issue directly and instead complaining about it on international forums.

“This is the truth. As the team director, it was your responsibility to ensure the proper selection and preparation of the team. Yet, you are now discussing these issues publicly, on international platforms. You selected players who were not capable to represent the team. This raises questions about your competence and control as a leader. The team was under your supervision. Why did you not take the appropriate tests?” said Butt.

The former southpaw argued that Hafeez should have addressed these concerns and requested more control during his tenure.

“You whined to Adam Gilchrist on how you wanted to make specific changes as team director, but felt nobody listened to you. Now, you’re airing these grievances on the international platform, rather than addressing them internally when you had the chance. You should have asked for more power and backing,” he continued

“It seems hypocritical – you referred Amir as a criminal when someone else picked him, but even you picked him. Overall, your complaints come across as unfocused and contradictory, making it hard to determine what specific issues you’re trying to address,” he further stated.

As the team’s leader, Hafeez oversaw Pakistan’s men’s side during the Test tour of Australia and the T20I series in New Zealand in 2023. Under his guidance, the team managed just one win across the eight games.