In a surprising turn of events, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) swiftly reversed its decision to appoint Salman Butt as a consultant to newly-appointed chief selector Wahab Riaz. The announcement, made on Friday, faced severe criticism, leading Riaz to hold a press conference to announce Butt’s immediate removal from the role.
Wahab Riaz, addressing the media at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, expressed his reasons for the abrupt reversal, citing public backlash and media propaganda. He clarified that Butt would no longer be part of his team, emphasizing the board’s transparency under the chairmanship of Zaka Ashraf.
The controversy arose when Butt, alongside Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum, was named as a consultant, slated to start their roles with the T20I series against New Zealand in January. Despite clarifications that the consultants would not be directly involved in selection matters, Butt’s appointment drew heightened criticism. The former captain had previously served a 10-year ban imposed by the ICC for his involvement in the spot-fixing scandal in 2010.
Wahab Riaz defended his initial decision by referencing international examples, specifically mentioning Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja in India. Both Azharuddin and Jadeja faced a five-match ban in 2000 for alleged involvement in a match-fixing scandal but later returned to cricket-related roles. Azharuddin is currently the president of a cricket association, while Jadeja served as Afghanistan’s batting consultant in the recent World Cup.
The controversy has ignited discussions about the rehabilitation of players involved in past scandals and the cricketing world’s willingness to give them a second chance.
