Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former national team captain Salman Butt to a prominent media role. Under the administration of PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, the 41-year-old former opening batsman has been selected to front the board’s official digital broadcasting initiative.
Butt is set to host a newly launched digital program titled Straight Drive with Salman Butt. In this role, he will serve as the primary anchor, analyzing national team performances, conducting interviews, and breaking down strategic developments within Pakistan cricket.
Controversial Past
This media assignment does not grant Salman Butt any authority over team selections or administrative policies, but his return to an official PCB paycheck has thrust his highly controversial history back into the public eye.
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The former opener’s international career met a sudden end following the infamous 2010 spot-fixing scandal during Pakistan’s tour of England. Alongside fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, Butt was found guilty of breaching the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code. Beyond his cricketing suspension, a London court in 2011 convicted Butt of conspiracy to cheat and accept corrupt payments, resulting in a 30-month prison sentence.
Echoes of 2023 Selection Panel Backlash
This isn’t the first time the PCB has faced scrutiny regarding Butt’s involvement with the board. In December 2023, the administration appointed him as a consultant to then-chief selector Wahab Riaz.
That administrative decision triggered immediate, severe pushback from fans, former international cricketers, and the media, who argued that placing a convicted match-manipulator on an official selection panel undermined the sport’s integrity. The public backlash was so severe that chief selector Wahab Riaz withdrew Butt’s name from the advisory panel just 24 hours after the initial announcement to avoid further institutional controversy.
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