A day after being named chief selector Wahab Riaz’s consultant, Salman Butt has resigned from his role. Wahab, the head selector for Pakistan, announced at a press conference that Butt’s name would be removed from the consulting panel effective right away.
Wahab claimed that when Butt was nominated to the advisory group, the media was trying to damage the PCB’s reputation. He claimed that he wished to defend himself against accusations that he had given Butt, who was reportedly Wahab’s close buddy, special treatment. Declaring that upholding the PCB’s reputation and his personal integrity was his primary responsibility, he said Butt would no longer be involved in team selection “in any capacity”.
It was announced on Friday that Butt, Kamran Akmal, and Rao Iftikhar Anjum had been recruited as consultant members “with immediate effect”. Their role was to advise Wahab in choosing Pakistan’s selection for the five-match series against New Zealand. The panel’s predominantly regional makeup was one of the many factors that led to harsh criticism of the choice. Punjab, which has always been Pakistan cricket’s most powerful and dominant area, is where all three members are from. Wahab presently serves as a minister in the Punjabi government, hence accusations of favoritism against the board were made right away.
That was Butt’s appointment, though, that made the biggest stir. That marked Butt’s first job at the PCB in any capacity since his ban for spot-fixing in 2010. After serving his suspension, he participated in PSL matches and domestic cricket before starting a career as a media analyst.
However, ESPNcricinfo has learned that the PCB also experienced strong internal opposition to Butt’s appointment, with at least one staffer reportedly becoming so uncomfortable that they threatened to quit. Wahab called a hurried press conference on Saturday night after receiving a barrage of criticism and removed Butt’s name from the panel.
Wahab specifically stated that the successor would be from Karachi and that he would be introduced soon. Wahab added that Asad Shafiq will probably be assigned to that role eventually.
Though he was the most well-known addition to the panel, Butt wasn’t the only one who was completely free of controversy. Wahab and Akmal were both questioned during and after the 2010 affair, for which Butt was banned and served time in prison. Much before the spot-fixing scandal of 2010, Akmal received a notice from the ICC following the T20 World Cup, although he was later allowed to be picked by Pakistan. After the incident at Lord’s, Akmal did not participate in another Test match, but he was a part of Pakistan’s white-ball teams.
In the immediate aftermath of the Lord’s Test that year, Wahab was also questioned by Scotland Yard; however, he was never accused of any crime. A couple of weeks ago, he was named the senior men’s team’s main selector following Inzamam-ul-Haq’s resignation due to alleged conflicts of interest.
