Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) disciplinary committee has recommended the board lift the suspension on selector Mohammad Ilyas.
Ilyas, a former Pakistan batsman, had earlier been suspended and served two showcause notices for his role in the dispute involving Shahid Afridi’s conditional retirement and appearing on a TV show with banned cricketer Salman Butt.
Ilyas was asked to appear before a disciplinary committee, and he was asked to explain his appearance on the TV show – on which Butt was a panellist – in which he responded to criticism levelled at him by Afridi. He was found to have violated clauses 8 and 9 of his PCB contract. Under ICC rules, no board member is allowed to interact with a banned player, in this case Butt, who was punished by the ICC for his alleged role in the spot-fixing controversy.
“Mr Ilyas was asked to explain the reasons for his recent conduct. He mentioned that he should have sought permission from PCB before appearing in a talk show,” a release issued by the PCB stated. “Mr Ilyas said that he felt he had to defend his honour after being subjected to accusations of a personal nature. The committee noted that Mr Ilyas had responded to personal comments made against him but had not criticised the PCB, its management, or its policies.
“The committee issued a short order in which it recommended that PCB issue a warning to Mr Ilyas to exercise caution while dealing with the media in the Future. The committee also recommended that PCB lift Mr Ilyas’s suspension. A detailed order will be issued at a later date.”
Afridi had specifically and personally criticised Ilyas after announcing his conditional retirement from the game as part of his blitz against the board. An incensed Ilyas felt compelled to respond with his own attacks against Afridi and was duly issued with a showcause notice, in which the board said he had violated the code of conduct applicable to officials. Afridi and Ilyas have a history: Ilyas has often opposed the selection of Afridi in the side but that opinion has ballooned in recent months. Afridi accused Ilyas of promoting his son-in-law Imran Farhat, while Ilyas responded by saying Afridi had pushed unfairly and persistently for Ahmed Shahzad, Fawad Alam and Shahzaib Hasan.
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