Illyas has not been restored: PCB

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board has clarified that the Islamabad High Court has not restored former Test player Muhammad Illyas as chief selector but has only stayed his suspension.

PCB chief Najam Sethi explained that Justice Nur-ul-Haq Qureshi had issued orders for the PCB to submit their reply to the petition filed by Illyas against his suspension as chief selector in February. "The court has not restored him, it is a wrong impression...We have received the full judgement and it says his suspension has been stayed until the board submits its reply and appears to present its arguments in the case," he explained. Illyas yesterday had told reporters that the Islamabad High Court had accepted his position in his petition and restored him as chief selector. "The court has accepted my petition and restored me as chief selector. But I am willing to work with this board under Najam Sethi and also with this selection committee," Illyas had told reporters in a clear effort to mend fences with the PCB. Illyas was given a contract of chief selector by the former Chairman of the Board Zaka Ashraf in January this year. But Ashraf than demoted him as chief selector of junior teams after appointing Aamir Sohail as senior chief selector. But in February, the government sacked Ashraf and appointed Najam Sethi and a 12-member managing committee to manage cricket affairs and the first decision by the new set up was to remove Sohail and Illyas as selectors. Illyas, however, claims the board decision was unjustified and illegal which is why he decided to go to court. Sethi maintained that the board didn`t want to get involved in court cases but was ready to defend its decisions.