No ifs in Butt’s mind

That was his first Test tour, a trip Down Under that would have left many other fazed. Butt (20) relished the opportunity to tangle with cricket’s best. ‘‘I think, first, it was a new country, different conditions’’, he told The Indian Express from Lahore today. ‘‘And then playing probably the most competitive sporting nation in the world. When you play the best you always try to be better, don’t you?’’

He learnt much, he says, from McGrath’s accuracy. ‘‘He makes you play all the time and that helped my concentration.’’

His debut Down Under was reminiscent of the occasion exactly a year before when Irfan Pathan was in a similar situation. The Lahore-bred opener cannot help but see the similarities.

‘‘Everybody loves Irfan Pathan in India after he did well in Australia. If you do well there you build a good reputation and the world knows because you are playing the world champions at home.’’

It’s this positive mindset that has convinced many that Butt is the right choice for what will be a difficult tour of India. What will help is the memory of his last match here: at the Eden Gardens last November for the BCCI anniversary match when he battled cramps to score a match-winning hundred.

Test matches are different and Butt is aware of what he’s up against, though he is unwilling to pin down one single bowler to watch out for. ‘‘There is Harbhajan, Kumble who wins matches. And then Zaheer and Nehra are also there. I am not going to come to India with any pre-conceived notions. It never helps your cause in cricket.’’ For now, Butt is trying to live down comparisons with another left-handed Pakistan opener, Saeed Anwar. Apart from the similar free-flowing grace, Butt’s first ODI century and Anwar’s last came against the same opponents.

Ask Butt about the comparisons and he finds it hard to reply. ‘‘It’s a huge compliment. He is the best left-hander I have ever seen. Since I started my cricket, I tried to be like him, my hero if you will. So whenever I meet Saeedbhai in the Academy I just try to learn as much as I can from him.’’

What has struck Butt is the comparative ease Anwar puts him in whenever they meet. ‘‘If you talk to him, he makes it so simple and makes you feel good about yourself. I just want to learn how to be mentally tough like he was all the way in his career.’’