Salman Butt was fired from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) a day after the former captain was named a member consultant for the top selector due to strong public and media pressure. Chief selector Wahab Riaz made the announcement of the expulsion on Saturday.
People began chatting about Salman Butt and me in all kinds of ways. I chose Salman Butt to be a consultant because I think he has a terrific cricketing brain. I’m going to reverse that choice now. Salman Butt has already been told that he is not welcome to join my team. However, once he has completed his term, I believe that people should move on,” former Pakistani bowler Riaz said to the media in Lahore.
Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja was at the forefront of the group of critics of the PCB. Ramiz criticized the PCB for selecting a disreputable candidate for a significant position. “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 had said at the time.
Former Pakistani captain Butt, along with Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, played a major role in the 2010 spot-fixing incident. Butt, who had participated in 33 Tests, 78 ODIs, and 24 T20Is, was sentenced to ten years in prison by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in addition to receiving a 10-year suspension.