Former Pakistan WK Ijaz Butt passes away

Islamabad, Aug 4:  Former Pakistan wicketkeeper and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt passed away, here on Thursday. He was 85. Born in Sialkot on 10 March 1938, Ijaz featured in eight Tests for Pakistan from 1959 to 1962. He remained PCB chairman from 2008 to 2011 and during his tenure Pakistan cricket team won the ICC T20 World Cup in 2009. The PCB through its chairman and members of the management committee, board executives and employees expressed its grief and sorrow over the demise of the former Test cricketer. “On behalf of the PCB, I want to express my deepest condolences on the sad demise of Mr Ijaz Butt,” said PCB management committee chairperson Zaka Ashraf. “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,” he added. Butt was also the manager of the Pakistan team for a tour of Australia in 1982 and headed the selection committee a couple of times. He served as the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan — the precursor to the PCB — from 1984-88.