Salman Butt removed as consultant to chief selector after 'thorough review'

Salman Butt has been removed as consultant to chief Pakistan selector Wahab Riaz a day after ‘thorough review’. Butt and former teammates Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum had been named as consultant members to recently-appointed chief selector Riaz alongside former team.

Butt, 39, had made a successful return to cricket in 2016 after serving a five-year ban for spot-fixing. He had been suspended for five years for his role in the scandal during a Test match against England in August 2010.

“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,” said a statement by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

“The authority of choosing a consultant member, whose role relates to providing recommendations and input to the selection committee, rests solely with the chief selector. Any additional members for the selection committee consultancy panel will be announced in due course,” said the statement.

After returning to cricket in 2016, Butt enjoyed plenty of success as a batter and captain in domestic competitions but was never picked for the national team. It came even as his partner in crime, Muhammad Amir was fast tracked back into the Pakistan side in 2016.

Butt was last month hired for commentary assignments by the PCB for domestic competitions and is currently involved in the National T20 Championship.

Butt, Amir and Muhammad Asif were all found guilty of spot-fixing by the national crime agency in the United Kingdom and also served time in jail and the International Cricket Council (ICC) imposed the bans on them.

Butt has always complained of being treated unjustly while admitting his remorse over his actions.

A few years back, then head coach Waqar Younis had recommended his name for inclusion into the national team, but former captain Shahid Afridi didn’t go through with it.

Pakistan cricket team are in Australia to play a three-Test series beginning with the first match on 14 December in Perth.

After the tour of Australia, Pakistan will move to New Zealand for a five-match T20I series beginning 12 January.