	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct
Tests	22	40	0	1146	122	28.65	2428	47.19	2	6	168	1	9
ODIs	68	68	4	2459	136	38.42	3221	76.34	8	11	307	7	19
T20Is	16	15	1	328	74	23.42	339	96.75	0	1	33	6	3
First-class	74	129	6	5092	290	41.39			14	20			28
List A	133	133	11	5543	150*	45.43			18	25			38
Twenty20	39	38	3	917	99*	26.20	849	108.00	0	4	108	17	8

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	22	5	137	106	1	1/36	1/41	106.00	4.64	137.0	0	0	0
ODIs	68	6	69	90	0	-	-	-	7.82	-	0	0	0
T20Is	16	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
First-class	74		926	646	11	4/82		58.72	4.18	84.1		0	0
List A	133		535	488	10	2/26	2/26	48.80	5.47	53.5	0	0	0
Twenty20	39	7	108	141	5	2/25	2/25	28.20	7.83	21.6	0	0	0

Career statistics

Test debut	Pakistan v Bangladesh at Multan, Sep 3-6, 2003 scorecard
Last Test	Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Galle, Jul 4-7, 2009 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut	Pakistan v West Indies at Southampton, Sep 22, 2004 scorecard
Last ODI	Australia v Pakistan at Abu Dhabi, May 3, 2009 scorecard
ODI statistics
T20I debut	Bangladesh v Pakistan at Nairobi (Gym), Sep 2, 2007 scorecard
Last T20I	Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Lord's, Jun 12, 2009 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut	2000/01
Last First-class	Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Galle, Jul 4-7, 2009 scorecard
List A debut	2000/01
Last List A	Australia v Pakistan at Abu Dhabi, May 3, 2009 scorecard
Twenty20 debut	Lahore Eagles v Sialkot Stallions at Lahore, Apr 26, 2005 scorecard
Last Twenty20	Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Lord's, Jun 12, 2009 scorecard

Profile

Because he is left-handed and possessed of some supple wrists, it is easy to compare Salman Butt with the delightful Saeed Anwar. His drives and cuts through the arc between extra cover and backward point are inevitably flicked, often scooped and it is a high-scoring region. He doesn't mind pulling either and off his toes, he is efficient rather than whippy as Anwar was. Further, like Anwar, Butt's footwork doesn't really hold him back. But in attitude and temperament Butt is more Anwar's long-time partner, Aamir Sohail.

He has a confident air about him, a spikiness and is one of the few younger players confident when speaking English. His breakthrough period was the winter of 2004, where he first scored an ODI century against India at Eden Gardens and then went further by scoring a fifty and a maiden Test century in Sydney later in the year. For most of 2005, he failed to build on that and despite another ODI century, also against India, doubts about his defensive technique and overt dash crept in, resulting in him dropping in and out of the team. But against England to end the year, he responded to criticism by unveiling a startling restraint and change of tempo, hitting a century and two fifties in the Tests, each innings commendably restrained.

He had made impressive strides at age-level matches before making his Test debut against Bangladesh in 2003-04, playing in the Under-19 World Cup and touring South Africa with Pakistan's Academy team, smashing 233 against the South African Academy side. His strokeplay has never been in doubt and he is capable of providing electrifying starts when needed but with the tightening of his defense, Butt could be one half of the opening conundrum that has so haunted Pakistan since...well, Anwar and Sohail left the scene.

Not in the frame for World Cup 2007, Butt was drafted back into the side for the Abu Dhabi series against Sri Lanka and was named Pakistan's vice-captain in June.

Cricinfo staff (June 2007)