M. Hafeez fears Salman Butt might even get Nishan-e-Haider after PCB controversy

Muhammad Hafeez slams Salman Butt return to PCB decision-making roles

KARACHI: In a hard-hitting podcast appearance, former Pakistan captain Muhammad Hafeez reignited the PCB controversy surrounding Salman Butt by revealing internal discussions from 2023, when Butt was controversially inducted into the Pakistan Cricket Board’s selection panel.

Appearing on Let’s Talk with Rabeea Khan, Hafeez claimed that former Chief Selector Wahab Riaz, a close friend, had asked him twice to approve Salman Butt’s inclusion. Hafeez, who was then a director, strongly opposed the move.

“I told Wahab that Salman Butt’s past is tainted. He defamed the country and has no place in decision-making roles,” said Hafeez.

He further alleged that despite his warnings, Wahab went ahead and added Butt to the panel. Hafeez raised the matter formally with PCB, leading to Butt’s removal. But the saga, Hafeez says, reflects a deeper issue.

“When he sold the game and brought shame to the nation, did he think about loyalty then? Now we are calling him loyal? At this rate, he might even get the Nishan-e-Haider,” Hafeez remarked sarcastically.

Hafeez clarified that he does not deny Butt a second chance at life, but Salman Butt should not be allowed back into cricket’s decision-making ecosystem.

The explosive podcast clip has gone viral, and reignited the ethics debate about what role, if any, convicted players should play in shaping the future of cricket in Pakistan.