Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt who got banned for playing any forms of cricket due to his alleged involvement in spot-fixing in 2010 might be back in Pakistan colours sooner than expected by many of his fans and well-wishers.
Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq informed the media the former captain and opener might be in line to play for the Pakistan A side pretty soon.
Inzamam who was addressing a press conference on Saturday heaped praise on Butt for his exceptional performance in the domestic circuit where he was one of the top performers and also showed excellent fitness level which might help in his favour to get considered for national selection.
Inzamam though ruled out the possibility of Butt making a comeback straight into the national team.
“Salman Butt performed very well during the domestic series, and displayed a high level of fitness at the PCB camp, despite being out of the game for six years,” Inzamam was quoted as saying during a press conference.
The chief selector made it pretty clear it was not possible for them to push Butt straight into international cricket especially after being out of international cricket for six years, but he stated that Butt is definitely in consideration for selection in the national team shortly.
“We are trying not to push him directly into international cricket, after such a long hiatus, and try him out during the tours of Pakistan A, so Salman Butt is still in consideration for the future,” Inzaman stated.
Butt was the captain of the Pakistan team when they toured England for a Test series in 2010 and was the mastermind in the infamous spot-fixing scandal also involving Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. The duo bowled deliberate no-balls in return for hefty sums and got subsequently banned for five years and seven years, respectively after the charges against them were proven.
Amir had already made a return to international cricket and was instrumental in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy while Mohammad Asif remains on the sidelines.