PCB drops Salman Butt from selection committee following backlash

Following the backlash, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has removed Salman Butt from the selection panel.

The announcement was made by Wahab Riaz, the chief selector of the Pakistan men’s cricket team.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, Riaz said: “I am reverting that decision and I’ve already spoken to Salman Butt and told him that he cannot be a part of my team because I do not want that people link us in any way.”

Riaz said he was thankful to PCB chief Zaka Ashraf for permitting him to go ahead with his recommendations for the selection committee.

“As the chief selector, I decide who will be the people working with me and who I will need the support of,” he added.

Social media users, former cricketers reacted strongly to the decision.

Ramiz Raja also criticized Butt’s appointment as "insane" and also raised concerns about the inclusion of Kamran Akmal on the panel, with Rao Iftikhar Anjum being the third member.

Ramiz Raja was quoted by Cricbuzz as saying, "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."                   

Salman Butt played 33 Tests, 78 ODIs, and 24 T20Is and yielded 5,209 runs across formats, along with 11 international centuries.

He represented Pakistan from 2003 to 2010, before getting banned for five years for his involvement in 2010 spot-fixing scandal. Here are some of the reaction of the social media users.