Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Includes Salman Butt In National Selection Panel. In a significant development, Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed former captain Salman Butt who had faced allegations of spot-fixing and served a five-year ban, to the national selection panel. This move comes ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand next year.
Under the guidance of the recently-appointed chief selector, Wahab Riaz, the 39-year-old, who made a successful return to cricket in 2016, will work as a consultant alongside former teammates Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum. Butt faced a five-year suspension for his involvement in spot-fixing during the Pakistan and England Test match in August 2010.
Even after making a successful comeback to cricket in 2016 and attaining considerable success as a batter and captain in domestic competitions. Salman Butt was never granted the opportunity to represent the national team again. On the contrary, the board swiftly reintegrated his accomplice, Muhammad Amir into the Pakistan side in 2016.
Recently hired for commentary in domestic competitions, Salman Butt, a former opener, is currently occupied with the National T20 Championship. As consultant members to the chief selector, their initial task includes the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, starting on January 12, 2024, after the Test tour to Australia.
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The PCB mentioned that when not engaged in selection duties. The consultants might be given additional responsibilities such as conducting skills camps. Butt, Kamran, chief selector Wahab Riaz, and former Test pacer Anjum all shared the field in the Pakistan team with Muhammad Hafeez. Who now serves as the Director of the Pakistan team.
In a career spanning 15 years, Kamran played 53 Tests, 157 ODIs, and 58 T20Is. Butt featured in 33 Tests, 78 ODIs and 24 T20Is while Anjum participated in a Test, 62 ODIs and two T20Is from 2004 to 2010. The UK’s national crime agency found Butt, along with Amir and Muhammad Asif guilty of spot-fixing. Resulting in jail time and bans imposed by the International Cricket Council.
Notably, Butt captained Pakistan to Test victories against Australia at Headingley and England at the Oval in 2010. Despite expressing remorse for his actions, he has consistently lamented what he perceives as unjust treatment. Several years ago, the then-head coach Waqar Younis had suggested Salman Butt’s return to the national team. However, former captain Shahid Afridi opposed the idea, preventing Butt from making a comeback to the team.
