The Pakistan Cricket Board has condoled the death of Ijaz Butt, an ex-Test cricketer who also headed the PCB 2008 to 2011. Ijaz Butt was 85. Before turning into administration, Butt, who was born in Sialkot in 1938, played eight Tests for Pakistan as a wicketkeeper batter between 1959 and 1962. He made 279 runs from eight matches with a fifty to his name. Mourning the death of Butt, PCB Management Committee chairperson Zaka Ashraf said: “On behalf of the PCB, I want to express my deepest condolences on the sad demise of Mr Ijaz Butt.” I had the privilege of knowing him personally and I have nothing but utmost respect for Mr Butt. “I offer my deepest condolences to Ijaz Butt’s family and friends, and assure them that he will always be remembered for the contributions he made to Pakistan cricket.” Incidentally, it was Ashraf who replaced Butt as PCB chief in 2011. During his eventful tenure, Butt oversaw some momentous occasions in Pakistan cricket. He was appointed as PCB head in 2008 by then Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari. The spot-fixing scandal erupted during Butt’s tenure that saw three Pakistan players — Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir — getting banned. However, Pakistan winning the 2009 T20 World Cup, which was held in England, was a glittering moment during Butt’s reign.
