Amidst the backlash over inducting spot-fixing tainted ex-cricketer Salman Butt as a consultant member to Pakistan Cricket Board’s selection committee, PCB chief selector Wahab Riaz has reversed his decision.
In a press conference on Saturday (December 2), Wahab Riaz said, “Salman Butt isn’t on any PCB panel. For me, he is a good cricketing mind who understands cricket and has been covering domestic cricket for the past 2-3 years. He was made my consultant just to get his opinion, based on which some media houses and people started doing propaganda.”
“As a chief selector, it’s my decision as to who will work with me and whose support I need. But people started discussing nepotism and dosti, due to which I am reverting this decision. I have already spoken to Salman Butt and told him that he cannot be a part of my team,” Riaz continued.
Wahab Riaz reverted the decision of involving Salman Butt in Selection committee due to alot of criticism.#PCB #WahabRiaz #SalmanButt
— Sanam Jamali🇵🇰 (@sana_J2) December 2, 2023
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“Chief selector Wahab Riaz has opted to reverse his decision to induct Salman Butt as a consultant member to the selection committee. The decision to appoint Salman Butt was under consideration and after a thorough review, it has been decided he will not be appointed as a consultant member,” a press release issued by the PCB on Saturday reads.
This comes after PCB chief selector Wahab Riaz received criticism over his decision to rope in Salman Butt as a consultant member despite the latter’s history of involvement in spot-fixing.
As reported earlier, former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Ramiz Raja criticised the board for naming convicted match-fixer Salman Butt as a consultant member to chief selector Wahab Riaz for the next series against New Zealand. Notably, Salman Butt, back in 2010, had confessed to spot-fixing and was jailed
“It’s insane to have a selection committee consisting of a member whose decision can be termed as a display of filial affection or non-affection and another who was locked up for match-fixing,” Raja had said.
Notably, back in September 2010, the International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended Salman Butt, Pakistan’s captain at the time, as well as two other Pakistan players, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. ICC also slapped Butt with a 10-year ban. Notably, at the behest of a bookie, the trio colluded to bowl no-balls at certain moments during the Lord’s Test against England. Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Asif were sentenced to 30 months in prison in November 2011 after their trial in a London court for offences under the Gambling Act.
