“It’s insane” - Ramiz Raja slams PCB for naming Salman Butt as consultant to chief selector

Former Pakistan captain and ex-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ramiz Raja has lashed out at the cricket board for picking Salman Butt as a consultant member to chief selector Wahab Riaz.

Raja described Butt's appointment as insane and was also critical of Kamran Akmal being named as one of the consultants; Rao Iftikhar Anjum being the third member of the consultant team.

An official statement by the PCB on Friday, December 1, confirmed that the three have assumed their responsibilities in the selection panel with immediate effect.

“Their first assignment as consultant members to the chief selector includes the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, set to commence on 12 January 2024 following the conclusion of the Test tour to Australia,” the release added.

Reacting to the development, Raja expressed disappointment and told Cricbuzz:

"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.”

Back in 2020, when hitting out against the selection of Mohammad Amir in the Pakistan team despite his involvement in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, Raja had commented that “tainted cricketers should open their grocery shops”.

Butt, who was Pakistan's captain when the 2010 spot fixing-scandal broke out, was also found guilty in the controversy and was banned for 10 years by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

He even served a prison term in the United Kingdom (UK). On the other hand, Akmal’s brother Umar was banned by the PCB for not reporting a corrupt approach.

---

Role of PCB’s consultant members

Elaborating on the role of consultant members, the Pakistan Cricket Board's official statement explained that they would assist the chief selector by providing recommendations, collecting feedback, and identifying top-performing talent in domestic cricket.

“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,” the PCB release emphasized.

Butt played 33 Tests, 78 ODIs, and 24 T20Is for Pakistan, scoring over 5,000 runs across the three formats. Kamran played 53 Tests, 157 ODIs, and 58 T20Is, while Rao Iftikhar featured in one Test, 62 ODIs, and two T20Is.