Salman Butt removed from PCB selection committee on PM’s orders

A controversial appointment in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee was immediately rescinded upon the direction of Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, who is the Patron-in-Chief of PCB.

The PM's Office Media Wing, in a press release on Saturday, conveyed that the prime minister has taken serious notice of the appointment of Salman Butt, a controversial former cricket player.

A day earlier, PCB confirmed the appointment of former Pakistan cricketers Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Salman Butt as consultant members to chief selector Wahab Riaz.

However, Butt’s selection was met with severe criticism on social media due to his involvement in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal. The other two cricketers who featured in that scam were pace bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir.

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Later, the former captain publicly apologised to cricket fans for bringing the game’s integrity into question.

According to PMO, the caretaker prime minister observed that there was no dearth of talent in Pakistan, and in cricket, which is the most popular game of Pakistanis, the selection committee should be free from any controversy.

Underlining the significance of maintaining the integrity of cricket, the premier directed for inclusion of non-controversial and well-reputed selectors as members in the PCB selection committee.