PSL franchisees voice concerns over Salman Butt’s inclusion in commentary panel

The inclusion of former Pakistan captain Salman Butt, who was convicted for spot-fixing, in the PSL 10 commentary panel has led to dissatisfaction among franchise owners. Despite sending a joint letter before the announcement, their concerns were not addressed.

In 2010, during the Lord's Test, Salman Butt, along with fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, were involved in a spot-fixing scandal and served jail in London. After their bans ended, only Amir was able to return to the national team, while Asif has been living in the United States for a long time. Salman Butt now heads the Ghani Glass Institute of Cricket in Lahore.

Sources revealed that when the PSL franchisees learned that Salman Butt was being included in the commentary panel, they sent a joint letter to the authorities. The letter did not name anyone directly but asked that no individual involved in unethical activities, fixing, or who had been jailed be included in the panel, as it could affect the league’s reputation. However, PSL officials disregarded the request, and Salman Butt's name was still included in the official commentary panel the following day. 

In response to the franchises' complaints, it was mentioned that Salman Butt would be doing commentary in Urdu, which would likely not be widely recognized outside Pakistan. It’s worth mentioning that recently, Salman Butt had conducted interviews with national cricketers for PCB Digital, and late in 2023, he was briefly appointed as an advisor to the Chief Selector Wahab Riaz. This decision was quickly reversed after facing a strong public backlash.

Currently, Salman Butt works with an institution whose representatives are also part of the PCB Governing Board.