Why was Salman Butt removed from PCB selection committee?

Within 24 hours of his appointment as a “consultant member” in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) selection committee, former Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt Saturday was dismissed from the post on the directions of caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar.

The prime minister, who is also PCB’s patron-in-chief, took notice of Butt’s appointment in the cricket board, the prime minister’s office media wing said in a press release.

The statement stressed that the selection committee must be free from controversy adding that the prime minister has directed for “well-reputed” and “non-controversial” selectors to be appointed for the post.

Earlier in the day, PCB Chief Selector Wahab Riaz announced to remove Butt from his team.

“People were talking all sorts of stuff about me and Salman Butt. Therefore, I am reverting the decision [and] I have already spoken to Salman Butt and I have told him that he cannot be part of my team,” he said while speaking to reporters at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

Elaborating on his decision to backtrack on Butt’s appointment, Riaz clarified that he was doing so due to “propaganda”.

He also cited the examples of Indian cricket where players like Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja have taken roles.

“In India, we have examples of Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja. They are working in cricket now and there is no fuss. Azharuddin is president of one of the cricket associations and Jadeja was Afghanistan’s batting consultant in the World Cup,” the left-arm pacer added.

The development comes after the board’s decision to include the former skipper — along with Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum — in the selection committee irked the cricketing fraternity and drew strong criticism from fans and ex-cricketers alike.

Butt, for his role in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and banned from playing for 10 years for being involved in conspiracy to bowl deliberate no-balls during a 2010 Test match against England at Lord’s.

— Additional input from APP