Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftikhar Anjum Named As Consultant Members To Chief Selector Wahab Riaz

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former cricketers Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, and Salman Butt as consultant members to work alongside chief selector Wahab Riaz. The board made the announcement of the recruitment on Friday, December 1.

These three former cricketers will immediately take on their roles as consultant members in the selection panel. The trio’s first assignment will be Pakistan’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand, following the conclusion of the three-match Test series in Australia.

The PCB Releases Official Statement On Friday

The board issued a brief statement regarding the appointments of Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, and Salman Butt as consultant members. The board mentioned that the consultant members may be assigned other tasks when not involved in selection duties.

“The PCB has confirmed the appointment of former Pakistan cricketers Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, and Salman Butt as consultant members to chief selector Wahab Riaz,” the PCB said in a statement.

“The three have assumed their responsibilities on the selection panel with immediate effect. Their first assignment as consultant members to the chief selector includes the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, set to commence on January 12, 2024, following the conclusion of the Test tour to Australia.”

“When not engaged in selection duties, the consultant members may be assigned additional tasks, such as conducting skills camps.”

The Trio’s Experience In International Cricket

Kamran Akmal played 53 Tests, 157 ODIs, and 58 T20Is, scoring 6,871 runs and securing 453 dismissals behind the stumps. He was a crucial member of the Pakistan team that won the T20 World Cup in 2009. He also served as the chair of PCB’s Junior Selection Committee.

Rao Iftikhar played a brief international career with one Test, 62 ODIs, and 2 T20Is between 2004 and 2010, taking 78 wickets. Iftikhar served on a three-man committee during the appointment of Shahid Afridi as interim chief selector alongside Abdul Razzaq last year.

Salman Butt, who played 33 Tests, 78 ODIs, and 24 T20Is, scoring a total of 5,209 runs across the formats with 11 international centuries, will be assuming an official role with PCB since his return from a lengthy ban due to his involvement in the spot-fixing scandal of 2010.

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