Butt, Akmal, Rao to assist chief selector

KARACHI: Back in 2010, Salman Butt was at the centre of a spot-fixing scandal that rocked Pakistan cricket. He was banned for being the ring leader and also served time.

On Friday, the disgraced former Pakistan Test captain was brought back in the national fray when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed him as one of the three consultants to newly-appointed chief selector Wahab. Former Test wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum are the other other two appointees.

Kamran Akmal, too, was once under the scanner and was questioned over the fixing scandal that broke during the Lord’s Test in the summer of 2010. Wahab was also questioned by Scotland Yard.

The appointment of the trio are bound to raise questions. PCB on Friday stated that the trio may also be assigned additional tasks such as conducting skills camps.

“The PCB has confirmed the appointment of former Pakistan cricketers Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Salman Butt as consultant members to chief selector Wahab Riaz,” the Board said in a media release.

“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.

“When not engaged in selection duties, the consultant members may be assigned additional tasks such as conducting skills camps,” it said.

Kamran Akmal, in a 15-year career from 2002 to 2017, played 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20Is. The former wicketkeeper-batter amassed 6,871 runs across formats and bagged 453 dismissals behind the stumps. He was a member of the Pakistan team that won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2009 at Lord’s. Rao Iftikhar played a Test, 62 ODIs and two T20Is from 2004 to 2010 and took a total of 78 international wickets. He was also part of the side that lifted the T20 World Cup in 2009.

Butt represented Pakistan in 33 Tests, 78 ODIs and 24 T20Is. He made 5,209 runs spanning the three formats with 11 international centuries. He was in the T20 World Cup winning squad in 2009.

Both Akmal and Anjum have had selection responsibilities before. Akmal was named chair of PCB’s Junior Selection committee earlier this year. He was also appointed chair of an eight-member selection committee, which would conduct Under-13, Under-16 and Under-19 trials for the selection of regional and district teams.

Anjum was part of a three-man committee when Shahid Afridi was named interim chief selector of the Pakistan men’s national team alongside Abdul Razzaq later last year.