Ijaz Butt, a former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), passed away on Thursday in Lahore at the age of 85 following a protracted illness.
Ex-PCB chairman Ijaz Butt passes away: Butt’s son Arif Saeed acknowledged his father’s passing and said that his father had been ill for a considerable amount of time.
During his tenure as PCB chairman, which spanned 2008 to 2011, there were numerous management changes, including hires and firings.
“The news of the loss of former Test cricketer and ex-PCB chairman Ijaz Butt saddens the PCB. His family and friends have our deepest sympathies, the cricket board said in a brief message posted on its official Twitter account.
Later, the PCB released a lengthy statement detailing its sorrow at Butt’s passing.
Butt, who was born in Sialkot on March 10, 1938, played in eight Test matches for Pakistan between 1959 and 1962, according to the statement. Under his leadership of PCB, the Pakistan cricket team won the ICC T20 World Cup in 2009.
The statement quoted Zaka Ashraf, chair of the PCB Management Committee, as saying, “On behalf of the PCB, I want to express my deepest condolences on the sad demise of Mr. Ijaz Butt.”
“I had the honour of getting to know Mr. Butt personally, and I couldn’t be more respectful of him.
Ijaz Butt’s family and friends have my sincere condolences, and I can tell them that he will always be recognised for his services to Pakistan cricket.
Butt, a former wicketkeeper-batter, made his Test debut in 1958–1959 as an opener against the West Indies, scoring 41 not out in a 10-wicket victory.
In December 1959, at Karachi, he made his sole half-century while playing twice against Australia.
However, In eight Test matches, he totaled 279 runs at an average of 19.92. Additionally, he participated in 67 first-class games and scored more than 3,000 runs.