Just a day after his controversial appointment as a selection consultant for the Pakistan Cricket Board, Salman Butt has been withdrawn from the role amid backlash from the media, fans, and cricket experts. The decision to appoint Butt, who was convicted in a spot-fixing scandal in 2010, was met with widespread criticism, leading to the abrupt reversal of the appointment.
The chief selector, Wahab Riaz, called a press conference to announce that he was reverting the decision to hire Butt, citing accusations of nepotism. This decision came after a storm of debate and outcry from fans and experts, who expressed their displeasure with the board’s choice.
Butt, along with former players Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum, had been appointed as a consultant for the men’s national team, but the backlash prompted the PCB to quickly backtrack on the decision.
The 39-year-old Butt was at the center of a scandal that rocked the cricket world, resulting in his ban from playing the game for five years and a prison sentence. Despite completing his ban and returning to domestic and franchise cricket in Pakistan, his appointment as a consultant for the national team was met with strong opposition.
The move to appoint Butt led to widespread criticism among Pakistan cricket fans and experts, with many calling for his immediate removal from the role. The PCB has seen a whirlwind of changes following Pakistan’s poor performance in the Cricket World Cup, including the appointment of new coaches and staff members.
Amidst the controversy, the Pakistan men’s team is preparing to return to action with a Test series in Australia, starting on December 14th.