TTS Report :
Ijaz Butt, former Pakistan wicketkeeper and PCB chairman, passed away at the age of 85 in Lahore.
In 2008, he was appointed as the chairman of the PCB under the presidency of Asif Ali Zardari. His tenure coincided with a tumultuous period in Pakistan’s cricket history, marked by the tragic terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team and match officials in 2009, leading to a decade-long suspension of international cricket in the country. During his time as chairman, the Pakistan team experienced frequent changes in captaincy, and there were sanctions imposed on players after a disastrous tour of Australia.
Butt also had to deal with the fallout from the spot-fixing scandal involving three Pakistan players, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, and Mohammad Amir, caught agreeing to bowl no-balls in a Test match at Lord’s in exchange for money.
He played eight Tests for Pakistan as a wicketkeeper-batter, debuting in 1959 and playing his last match against England in 1962. Over the years, he served in various roles within Pakistan cricket, including manager, selection committee head, and secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan (BCCP).
The current PCB chairman, Zaka Ashraf, who succeeded Ijaz Butt in 2011, expressed his deepest condolences on behalf of the PCB and remembered Ijaz Butt for his contributions to Pakistan cricket.