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Salman Butt

Salman Butt (2019) 1
Salman Butt (2019) 1 Image: Wikimedia Commons. AapNewsPK / CC BY 3.0

Salman Butt (born 7 October 1984) is a former Pakistani cricketer who represented the Pakistan national cricket team between 2003 and 2010. A left-handed opening batsman, he served briefly as captain of the Pakistan Test side in 2010 before being banned from international cricket for five years following his involvement in a spot-fixing scandal during Pakistan's tour of England that year.

Key facts

Full name Salman Butt
Date of birth 7 October 1984
Nationality Pakistani
Batting style Left-handed
Role Opening batsman
Test debut 3 September 2003, vs Bangladesh
ODI debut 22 September 2004, vs West Indies
Captaincy (Test) Appointed 16 July 2010
International career 2003–2010
Major honour Member of 2009 ICC World Twenty20-winning squad

Background

Butt emerged as a regular opener for Pakistan in both Test and One Day International cricket during the mid-2000s. He was particularly noted for his command of strokeplay through the off side. Against India, he was prolific in the limited-overs format, scoring five ODI centuries in 21 innings at an average of 52.

International career

Butt made his Test debut in the third Test against Bangladesh on 3 September 2003. He followed this with his ODI debut against the West Indies on 22 September 2004. Over the next several years he established himself as a dependable opening batsman across formats.

He was part of the Pakistan squad that won the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, the country's first ICC global title in the Twenty20 format. On 16 July 2010, he was appointed captain of the Pakistan Test squad.

Spot-fixing scandal and ban

On 29 August 2010, Butt was implicated in allegations of spot-fixing during Pakistan's tour of England. On 31 August 2010, he was stripped of the Pakistan captaincy and removed from the ODI squad pending criminal proceedings.

He was subsequently banned from playing cricket for ten years, with five years of the sentence suspended. In November 2011, Butt was convicted in a criminal trial in the United Kingdom and jailed for 30 months on conspiracy charges relating to the spot-fixing, alongside fellow Pakistan cricketers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. He was released from jail on 21 June 2012.

In August 2015, the bans on Butt, Amir and Asif were lifted by the International Cricket Council, allowing them to return to all forms of cricket from 2 September 2015.

Significance

Butt's career is significant both for his promise as a top-order batsman and for his role in one of cricket's most prominent corruption cases. The 2010 spot-fixing episode prompted wider scrutiny of integrity issues in international cricket and led to extended bans and criminal convictions for the players involved.

References