Salman Butt was fired from his post as a consultant to PCB head selector Wahab Riaz just hours after he was hired, citing public outcry and negative media coverage. Wahab announced the development on Saturday, December 2, by calling an urgent press conference. Butt’s close friend Wahab claimed he was being accused of bias and favoritism toward the latter, with people chatting about “all sorts of stuff.”
“Everything from myself to Salman Butt was the talk of the town.
As a result, I am going back on the decision, and I have already informed Salman Butt that he is not welcome on my team,” Riaz said to media at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
The PCB only named Butt, Kamran Akmal, and Rao Iftikhar Anjum as consultant members to head selector Wahab on Friday, December 1. Former authorities, cricket players, and the media all immediately criticized the choice, in part because Butt was involved in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal that ultimately led to the termination of his international career.
Ramiz Raja, a former board chairman, was one of many who watched the PCB shrink in size. He called the Butt nomination “insane” and strongly criticized the board. “It’s insane to have a selection committee consisting of a member whose decision can be termed a display of filial affection or non-affection and another who was locked up for match-fixing,” said Ramiz Raja.
In the meantime, the decision was closely examined on a number of fronts beyond Butt’s troubled past. Wahab presently leads a government ministry in Punjab, which is also the second-largest province in Pakistan, where all three of the members onboard are from.
Not only that, but Butt is not the only one with a contentious past—Akmal and Wahab were also questioned regarding the 2010 episode of fixation, although none of them faced any charges. Additionally, Akmal is the brother of Umar, whom the PCB disqualified for neglecting to disclose a corrupt practice. Although there have been rumors regarding Akmal’s involvement as well, the commotion started because of Butt’s appointment.
Butt’s job description, like that of the other two consultants, contained no mention of anything other than “assisting the chief selector by providing recommendations, collecting feedback, and identifying top-performing talent in domestic cricket.” It was also unequivocally reaffirmed by a PCB statement issued later that day on the appointment that “Consultant Members do not have any independent decision-making powers.”
Wahab, however, declared that a successor would be announced shortly.
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