PSL Franchises Reportedly Unhappy Over Salman Butt’s Inclusion in Commentary Panel

A fresh controversy has surfaced in the build-up to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) X, as several franchise owners have reportedly expressed their displeasure over the inclusion of former Pakistan captain Salman Butt in the tournament’s official commentary panel.

The story was brought to the fore by journalist Saleem Khaliq, with Salman Butt’s past mentioned as the reason for teams’ concerns.

Butt, who served a ban and jail sentence for his role in the infamous 2010 spot-fixing scandal during Pakistan’s tour of England, has been named among the commentators for the upcoming PSL season — a move that hasn’t gone down well with the stakeholders.

Back in 2010, Salman Butt, alongside pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, was found guilty of conspiring to deliberately bowl no-balls during the Lord’s Test against England. All three faced bans from international cricket, with Amir eventually making a return to the national side. Asif has since relocated to the United States, while Butt has remained active in cricket at the domestic level, running the Ghani Glass Institute of Cricket in Lahore.

According to sources familiar with the matter, PSL franchises were caught off guard upon learning about Salman Butt’s appointment to the commentary team for PSL X. In response, they reportedly submitted a joint letter to the league’s management, urging them to avoid hiring any individual with a history of unethical conduct, criminal conviction, or involvement in match-fixing in order to protect the league’s image and credibility.

Interestingly, the PCB and PSL management were unmoved by the objections. League officials, downplaying the backlash, argued that Salman Butt would only be handling Urdu commentary during PSL X, implying his past controversies would likely not be highlighted outside of Pakistan.

This isn’t the first time Salman Butt has found himself in the eye of a storm since his return to the cricketing spotlight. Late last year, his appointment as an advisor to then-chief selector Wahab Riaz sparked considerable public criticism, forcing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to reverse the decision within days.

As the PSL gears up for its 10th season, this latest controversy has once again put the spotlight on cricket’s ongoing struggle to balance redemption stories with reputational risk — a dilemma that remains as challenging off the field as it is on it.

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