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Pakistan’s former test player and Captain Salman Butt has withdrawn from the panel of consultants to chief selector Wahab Riaz, just after one day after he is appointed a member of the consultants panel to chief selector. Wahab Riaz in a press conference announced the withdrawal of Salman Butt.
In his press conference, Wahab Riaz said that he is accused of appointing Salman Butt in the selection panel. Saying Butt is a close friend of Wahab Riaz, because of Butt’s and Riaz’s close relationship Wahab Riaz has given Butt’s name as a member of the selection panel. Wahab Riaz clarified that he will never damage Pakistan Cricket Board’s reputation and his integrity, that’s why he is announcing the withdrawal of Salman Butt from the panel. Riaz further said that this announcement would cancel and encounter all the accusations.
On Friday Salman Butt was appointed as a consultant in the selection committee alongside Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum. The first major assignment for the panel was to select a team for a five-match T20 series against New Zealand in January 2024. PCB was cruised for the appointment of the selection panel. All three members belong to the province of Punjab. The chief selector of the Pakistan cricket team Wahab Riaz holds a ministry in the Punjab government currently. This scenario led to signs of favoritism.
It was the appointment of Salman Butt that created lot of controversy and criticism. Salman Butt was banned from International cricket for 10 years after he was found guilty in a spot-fixing scandal in 2010. After returning from the ban Salma Butt played in domestic cricket and also played in PSL. This is the first time that Salman Butt was given any position in Pakistan Cricket Board. Salman Butt appears on media as an expert during cricket matches. The decision to appoint Salman Butt to the selection panel was highly criticized by former cricketers, the general public, and by media.
Wahab said a replacement would be announced shortly, pointedly saying he would be from Karachi. Wahab also said Asad Shafiq is likely to be appointed to that position in due course.
