Wahab Riaz, the Chief Selector of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), clarified the status of Salman Butt’s involvement with the team and addressed the ongoing speculation surrounding his potential appointment.

Riaz highlighted that Salman Butt did not partake in the team selection process for the upcoming tour of Australia. Contrary to the circulating reports, Butt's participation in the decision-making for the tour was absent, indicating his non-involvement in the selection proceedings.

Further shedding light on the situation, Riaz affirmed that while Butt’s appointment had been under consideration, a firm decision had been reached after thorough deliberation.

The final verdict, as declared by the chief selector, settled on not appointing Salman Butt as a consultant member, thereby ending the speculation surrounding Butt's potential role within the PCB.

Wahab Riaz's press conference at GSL. https://t.co/qx4qDbDaYj
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 2, 2023

Earlier, the PCB had named former cricketers Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, and Salman Butt as consultants to Chief Selector Wahab Riaz.

Scheduled to commence their duties immediately, the trio was slated to oversee the upcoming five-match T20 International series in New Zealand, with additional responsibilities during the Skills Camp on non-selection days.

However, the appointment of Salman Butt, who was previously involved in a match-fixing scandal, sparked public outrage and drew disapproval from higher circles. Notably, cricketer Muhammad Hafeez had also expressed objection to Butt’s appointment, echoing sentiments from various quarters suggesting the dismissal of all three consultants.