Selector Ilyas suspended by PCB

The PCB has suspended national selector Mohammad Ilyas for his role in the Shahid Afridi dispute and for appearing on a television show with banned former captain Salman Butt. Ilyas had been served two show cause notices by the PCB over the incidents, both of which violate the board's code of conduct for officials.

"The Contract of Mr. Mohammad Ilyas (member National Selection Committee) with PCB has been suspended with immediate effect for violating the Clauses 8 and 9 of the same," the PCB said in a statement. "Show Cause Notices were issued to Mr. Ilyas on June 3 and June 6, 2011 to which he replied. His reply was not found satisfactory as it was observed that he participated in a Talk show despite being warned."

Following the same procedure in the Afridi dispute, a disciplinary committee will be formed to hear the case and Ilyas will be told when he will need to appear before it.

Ilyas had appeared on a television show on June 6 to discuss Afridi's dispute with the PCB. Among the other panellists was Butt, who has been banned for 10 years (five years suspended) for spot-fixing. Under ICC rules, no board member can interact with a banned player and the sport's governing body is also looking into Ilyas' appearance.

Afridi had specifically and personally criticised Ilyas after announcing his conditional retirement from the game as part of his blitz against the board. Late last week, an incensed Ilyas felt compelled to respond with his own attacks against Afridi and was duly issued with the notice on Friday, 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.

Fuelling the dispute are Afridi's comments about a "Punjab-Lahore lobby" working against him since he became captain; Ilyas is from Lahore and Afridi a Pathan from Karachi. His remarks have seriously irked the board and a number of prominent ex-cricketers in Lahore.

At a press conference in Karachi, Afridi clarified his remarks, saying that he was talking about an individual and not a region or people. "I did say it, but I only said it so that the media would understand who I am talking about," he said. "After that I stopped saying it and I took Ilyas's name. The work that he is using, the kind of language that he is using - everyone can see. I will not talk of provinces, I play for Pakistan."