Ijaz Butt’s legacy in Pakistan cricket is irreplaceable, as he not solely represented the nation in eight Test matches but additionally held essential administrative positions all through his profession. His contributions ranged from being a member of the 1987 Reliance World Cup organising committee to serving because the secretary of the Pakistan Cricket Board through the Nineteen Eighties. Butt’s journey continued with managing the senior staff and eventually culminated with him taking the helm of the PCB from 2008 to 2011, making an indelible mark on the game.
Known for his boldness and stubbornness, Butt by no means hesitated to say his authority, even when it meant turning down requests from highly effective figures. One such incident occurred when the then President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, appointed Butt as PCB chief in 2008. In a packed assembly, Butt courageously declined to maneuver the nationwide T20 championship from Lahore to Karachi, regardless of the President’s need.
Butt’s tenure as PCB chairman was riddled with controversies that might have been handled extra tactfully. He discovered himself on the centre of main controversies, together with the banning of senior gamers like Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, and Kamran Akmal. The 2008 terror assault in Mumbai additional exacerbated tensions between Pakistan and India, resulting in a freeze in cricketing ties between the 2 nations and the exclusion of Pakistani gamers from the Indian Premier League.
In 2009, regardless of profitable the T20 World Cup in England and reaching the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals in South Africa, clashes between Butt and senior gamers emerged, with the chairman satisfied that gamers’ energy centres inside the staff had been damaging Pakistan cricket. Infighting experiences through the South African tour led to the banning of senior gamers for indiscipline and leaking confidential staff info. Despite the backlash, Butt stood agency, and the gamers had been solely reinstated after apologising and paying fines.
Shahid Afridi additionally skilled Butt’s unyielding strategies, going through hefty fines and self-discipline after asserting his sudden retirement from ODIs and making severe accusations in opposition to the board. Butt made it clear that solely an apology and positive would pave the best way for Afridi’s return to the staff.
However, Butt’s tenure was not with out its darkish moments. The spot-fixing scandal in England, which resulted within the banishment of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, and Mohammad Amir, shook the cricketing world. Under Butt’s management, Misbah ul Haq was appointed as Test and later ODI captain.
The most important stain on Butt’s time period got here with the militant assault on the Sri Lankan cricket staff in March 2009. The incident led to Pakistan dropping the internet hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup and international groups refusing to tour Pakistan attributable to safety considerations.
In the aftermath of the assault, Butt confronted criticism for his failure to deal with the state of affairs diplomatically, additional complicating issues for Pakistan cricket. The following 12 months, Butt accused England gamers of involvement with bookies, igniting a significant controversy between the 2 international locations. Despite later withdrawing his assertion, Butt’s strategy was scrutinised, with ICC CEO Malcolm Speed referring to him as a “buffoon” in an interview.
While opinions could also be divided, there isn’t a denying that Ijaz Butt was an administrator who by no means performed to the galleries.
(With inputs from PTI)
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com