The PCB chairman Ramiz Raja slams the board for appointing Butt and Akmal as consultant members to newly appointed chief selector Wahab Riaz.
Ramiz Raja slams PCB for Salman Butt Appointment
The Pakistan Cricket Board named former cricketer Salman Butt as a consultant along with Kamran Akmal and Iftikhar Anjum. The board had named many changes in the management after their defeat in the World Cup 2023.
The trio will be taking over the team with immediate effect and their first assignment is the five-match T20I series against New Zealand which will begin in January.
On this occasion, the PCB chairman criticized for appointing Butt and Akmal saying the decision was insane as he lashed out at the board. He reminded the match-fixing part and slammed on the decision for selecting Butt for the role.
“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,” Ramiz said.
“Consultant members assist the chief selector by providing recommendations, collecting feedback, and identifying top-performing talent in domestic cricket,” it said.
“Their role is to present this information to the chief selector and the selection committee for consideration in their decision-making process. The Consultant Members do not have any independent decision-making powers.”
Butt was banned for 10 years by the ICC in 2010 for his involvement in the match-fixing along with Amir and Mohammad Asif. Wahab and Akmal were also under the name of the suspect and questioned on the incident.
Akmal was sent a notice by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit after the Nottingham Test against England in 2010.
After Pakistan suffered defeat in the World Cup Campaign where they finished fifth in the points table missed the spot in the semifinal spot for the third time which made certain changes in the administration of the board and management.
They also appointed former all-rounder Mohammed Hafeez as the team director and head coach for the upcoming Australia and New Zealand series.
They will be playing their first match against Australia in a Test series after the World Cup campaign. The first test will be played between December 14-18, at Optus Stadium.
