Daily Times

After an unbelievably short stint, one of Pakistan’s consultants for the national men’s cricket selection committee, Salman Butt, was removed from his post even before the ink could dry on his notification papers.

Reports about his selection as a part of numerous moves being undertaken by the Pakistan Cricket Board had sparked an outrage on social media as veteran cricketers and cricket aficionados dashed to make note of his tainted past.

Mr Butt’s involvement in the notorious spot-fixing scandal in 2010 received heavy criticism from all quarters and made one wonder whether the PCB was actually ready to bring about a new day in the affairs of a sport loved by the nation.

On the heels of a poor wrap-up of a measly innings at the ICC Cricket World Cup where Shaheens lost five of the nine matches and were thrashed by Afghanistan and old rivals India, the management had asked its players to “prioritise country. Sadly and in line with their chequered past, they forgot to read their own memo. The last few weeks have seen a major overhaul with start batter Baza Azam stepping down, coaching staff being let go and invitations sent to experienced hands to come to support the Men in Green.

No matter how sagacious or well-connected Mr Butt may be, Pakistan’s cricket team is in no shape to give space to any notorious personality in its inner circle.

It may be one thing for Singapore’s national team to accept his public apology and extend a coaching assignment to him but for a country desperately trying to get rid of the sticky, infamous tag.

If the scandals of his past were actually as meaningless as being portrayed by some key officials, why was Mr Butt never called upon to represent Pakistan internationally even after he had served the ban?

It can only be hoped that the movers and shakers would finally realise the significance of optics and how Team Pakistan should not only work on creating a refined, better game but be seen actively making efforts to regain its former glory. *