Lahore
\nWahab Riaz, the chief selector of the Pakistan men\u2019s cricket team, announced on Saturday that former cricketer Salman Butt was dropped as a member of the Pakistan Cricket Board\u2019s (PCB) selection committee a day after his appointment in the wake of a massive backlash against the move.
\nButt was appointed to the selection committee, along with Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum, a day ago by the chief selector. However, the move was severely criticised and generated blowback.
\nButt, who was banned over a high-profile spot-fixing scandal for which the former skipper publicly apologised, was also appointed to a coaching role with Singapore\u2019s national team last year.
\nAddressing a press conference in Lahore\u2019s Gaddafi Stadium today, Riaz said: \u201cI am reverting that decision and I\u2019ve 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.\u201d
\nElaborating on the lead-up to the selection committee\u2019s Friday appointments, Riaz said there was a lot of public debate on Butt\u2019s name and \u201cmany people created a lot of issues over it\u201d.
\n\u201cI firstly want to clarify that he is not on any PCB panel. Secondly, he is a good cricketing mind who understands cricket and has been covering domestic cricket for the past two to three years. \u201cHe was made my consultant only as far as taking his opinion is concerned on which some people and media houses are probably doing propaganda, trying to ruin affairs and linking me with it.\u201d Riaz said he was thankful to PCB chief Zaka Ashraf for permitting him to go ahead with his recommendations for the selection committee. \u201cAs the chief selector, I decide who will be the people working with me and who I will need the support of,\u201d he added.
\nRiaz said people were linking him and Butt with accusations of nepotism and friendship-based favours, which is why he made today\u2019s decision.
\nHe opined that the past should remain in the past and Butt had already paid for his mistakes, reiterating that the only reason for his appointment was his cricketing knowledge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no one else\u2019s pressure. It was my decision and I am reverting it I think it is very necessary for people to understand to move forward in life.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Riaz said that he did not want his decisions to negatively impact the PCB since he was a part of the organisation now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lahore Wahab Riaz, the chief selector of the Pakistan men\u2019s cricket team, announced on Saturday that former cricketer Salman Butt was dropped as a member of the Pakistan Cricket Board\u2019s (PCB) selection committee a day after his appointment in the wake of a massive backlash against the move. Butt was appointed to the selection committee, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":371985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-371963","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n