ISLAMABAD: Former cricketer and Pakistan’s certified match-fixer Salman Butt has received a job from from the Afghanistan Cricket board, days after being removed from the selection panel of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Initially, along with Kamran Akmal and Iftikhar Anjum, Salman Butt had been designated as a consultant to the chief selector by the PCB, with their roles set to commence before the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in January.
However, following significant public criticism, the PCB rescinded Salman Butt’s appointment as a consultant to the chief selector.
Now, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has approached Salman Butt with an offer to serve as the Batting Consultant for the upcoming series against India, scheduled for the next month.
The controversy surrounding Salman Butt’s role in the PCB selection panel escalated after his removal, prompting the chief selector, Wahab Riaz, to address the matter in a press conference.
Riaz explained that Salman Butt’s appointment as a consultant had been under consideration, but due to the ongoing discussions and criticism, the decision was reversed.
Riaz clarified that he had informed Salman Butt that he would not be part of the selection team.
Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reversed its decision to appoint former cricketer Salman Butt as a “consultant member” to chief selector Wahab Riaz within 24 hours of the announcement. The move had garnered severe criticism from the cricketing community and fans.
Wahab Riaz, addressing the media at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, acknowledged the public backlash and stated, “People were talking all sorts of stuff about me and Salman Butt. Therefore, I am reverting the decision, and I have already spoken to Salman Butt and told him that he cannot be part of my team.”
Wahab Riaz emphasized that the decision to appoint Butt was solely his own but was being revoked due to the negative publicity and propaganda.
The PCB had initially named Salman Butt, along with Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum, as members of the selection committee led by Wahab Riaz.
However, social media users and former cricketer Sarfraz Nawaz expressed dissatisfaction with the appointment, citing Butt’s involvement in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, for which he had been banned and sentenced to prison.
