Former Pakistan Cricketers Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftikhar, Anjum & Salman Butt are appointed as Consultant Members to chief selector Wahab Riaz by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday, December 01. The trio will take up the roles in the selection panel with immediate effect. Their first assignment with the national team will be Pakistan’s five match t20I series against New Zealand beginning from January 12 after the conclusion of the Test series against Australia.
The Consultant members of Chief Selector will have dual roles
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Apart from the selection duties the trio will also take up additional tasks such as holding skill camps. Both Akmal & Anjum have held selection positions before as well with Akmal being named chair of PCB’s Junior Selection Committee earlier in 2023. He has held the helm of an eight-member selection committee, which conducted Under-13, Under-16 and Under-19 trials for the selection of regional and district teams. On the other hand, Anjum was also a part of their three-man selection committee in 2022 when Shahid Afridi was named interim chief selector of Pakistan alongside Abdul Razzaq.
This will be the first time that the former Captain Salman Butt will take up an official role with the PCB after serving his five-year ban for being involved in the spot fixing scandal in 2010. Butt was the captain of Pakistan during the Lord’s Test in 2010 where the entire spot fixing saga unfolded & he never played for Pakistan again.
New appointments might cause controversy
The new appointments might raise some eyebrows as both Wahab Riaz & Kamran Akmal were questioned about the spot-fixing scandal. Akmal was sent a notice by the ICC after the ICC T2o World Cup 2010 but was then cleared for selection by the PCB in the Pakistan team. But after the controversial Lord’s Test in 2010 he didn’t play even a single Test & continued to play in limited overs format. Riaz was also questioned by Scotland after the scandal but was given a clean chit.
Fan’s reaction over PCB Selection of Consultant Members
Butt’s inclusion has sparked criticism among fans. Social media platforms are buzzing with reactions expressing concern over PCB decision & questioning their decision of appointing a figure associated with a dark chapter in Pakistan cricket.
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