Salman Butt to do on-air commentary for ICC World Cup 2011
There are rumours that banned former Pakistan Test captain, Salman Butt, will be appearing on a Pakistani television channel to comment on the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup 2011. He is expected to give his opinion on matches that specifically
involve the Pakistan national team.
The channel with which Butt is expected to be working with is a private channel, called Five Television, where he will be commenting on the upcoming World cup. A source said that, “Butt will be giving expert opinions on some matches of the World Cup particularly
those involving Pakistan in the tournament.” He is rumoured to be getting an estimated amount of half a million Pakistani rupees.
The former test captain was recently banned from cricket and was given a sentence of ten years by the ICC anti-corruption tribunal. He has allegations of spot-fixing, due to which he is banned, along with two other players, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.
They have been banned from cricket for seven years and five years respectively.
The channel might have to face criticism if the banned player appears on the channel for commentary on the World Cup because no player is allowed to participate in any sort of activity or event related to cricket. A source has said, "Clearly if Butt does
appear on a television channel as an expert during the World Cup, many people are going to question the ethics of having a banned cricketer comment on the mega-event and Pakistan team."
Similar past controversies in other countries have brought mixed results for the players. In India when banned cricketers like Mohammad Azhar uddin and Ajay Jadeja commented on various channels during their suspension from the cricket. Ajay Jadeja was also
banned due to a match-fixing scandal.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and ICC are not yet aware of the deal between Salman Butt and the TV channel. It remains to be seen whether Butt is allowed to undertake such commitments since the detailed judgment of his spot-fixing verdict is not out yet.
Most cricket commentators are still waiting for reactions from the ICC and PCB. This is expected after the complete judgment arrives. Salman Butt is out of cricket for at least five years now and he might want to consider taking up this job as his permanent
means of livelihood.
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