PCB appoints ex-stars Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal among consultants to chief selector

Former captain Salman Butt has returned to Pakistan Cricket as one of the consultants to chief selector Wahab Riaz, PCB confirmed. Salman returns to the fold after being found guilty in the 2010 Lord's Test spot-fixing scandal. The board also appointed ex-cricketers Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar as other members in the selection panel. 

The trio will take up their roles with immediate effect, with their first assignment being the five T20Is against New Zealand (January 12 onwards) starting right after the Australia Tests. The PCB said when all three are not engaged in the selection duties, they will be busy conducting skill camps.

While both Akmal and Rao have held different posts in the selection panels earlier, Salman will take up the official role for the first time since returning from the lengthy ban for his role in the 2010 Lord's Test scandal.

The board had earlier appointed Akmal as the chair of PCB's Junior Selection Committee. The former keeper-batter also got picked to head an eight-member selection committee, which would conduct Under-13, Under-16 and Under-19 trials for regional and district teams' selection.

On the other hand, ex-seamer Rao Iftikhar was one part of the three-member interim selection committee, headed by Shahid Afridi, alongside Abdul Razzaq, picked later last year. 

In regards to Salman Butt, whom PCB last picked in 2020 as part of the commentator's panel, will resume his association with Pakistan Cricket. A former captain and a top-order batter, Salman featured in 33 Tests, 78 ODIs and 24 T20Is for the Men in Green.

Incidentally, all three of Salman, Kamran and Iftikhar never played a Test for Pakistan since the Lord's incident.

The 18-man Pakistan squad has landed in Canberra, Australia, for the scheduled three-match Test series starting on December 14 in Perth. The MCG will host the Boxing Day Test, while Sydney will be the venue for the third and final game of the series.

Following another failed World Cup campaign in India this time, Babar Azam had stepped aside from the captaincy post in all formats. While seamer Shaheen Afridi was named the white-ball captain, left-handed batter Shan Masood was picked as the new Test captain.

Pakistan will play a four-day warm-up game against Prime Ministers XI in Canberra, beginning December 6.