PSL Controversy: Salman Butt Has A Long Road To Walk For International Return
Mar 20, 2017 at 8:02 PM
The former Pakistan Test skipper Salman Butt’s plan for international return has been put on hold in the wake of the spot-fixing saga which further rocked the second edition of recently concluded cash-rich Pakistan Super League Twenty20 carnival held in the United Arab Emirates before the final was held in Lahore on March 5.
It appears the 32-year-old batsman Butt has to wait for more for his International return after selection committee decided to rethink over considering the inclusion of Butt in the Test squad. To avoid the flak, the reports suggest that Butt was told the condition is not perfect to induct him in the squad for the Caribbean series, according to a report.
However, the left-handed batsman Butt was also expected to make an International return during the West Indies tour which is also comprised of three match Test series.
It becomes pertinent here; Butt was the mastermind of the infamous Lord’s Test (spot-fixing) in 2010, for which he had already served the jail term and five-year ban alongside fast bowler Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.
The recent fixing allegations following for which five cricketers were provisionally suspended includes batsmen Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Shahzaib Hasan, Nasir Jamshed and fast bowler Mohammad Irfan.
Earlier, the reports suggested Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has given a clearance to the national selectors on Butt.
Last week, the PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has admitted Butt’s potential return following his impressive run in the first-class cricket at home.
On the other side, former Pakistan coach and fast bowler Waqar Younis had backed Butt for his international return last week.
The selection committee which is headed by former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-Ul-Haq has been focusing on the opener as some members of the committee not seemed to have settled with Butt’s name popping out during the board’s meetings
Facing the different corruption charges, the players who were suspended were put on the Exit Control List as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is investigating the matter thoroughly.
After serving his ban and returning in September 2015, Butt has had an impressive run in domestic cricket.
Butt, who was the skipper of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) won the maiden Quaid-e-Azam title after registering 749 runs at an average of 49.90 which also included two-hundreds.
In 2015, Butt was also the second-leading run-scorer with 536 runs at an average of 107.50 during the National One-Day Cup and National Twenty20 Cup in 2016 respectively.
Butt, who had apologised for the felony, has played 78 ODIs, 33 Tests and 24 T20Is for Pakistan before talking healthy part in the rehabilitation programmes conducted by Pakistan board on anti-corruption.