Former cricketer and chief selector Mohammad Ilyas has died at the age of 79 after battling a prolonged illness, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced. said Monday.
Ilyas – a right-handed hitter and right-leg bowler – played 10 Test matches as well as 82 first-class matches and two List A matches between 1961 and 1976, PCB said in a statement while expressing grief over Ilyas’ death.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi also expressed his sincere sympathies and condolences to the bereaved family, while paying tribute to the late Ilyas for his valuable services to Pakistan cricket.
Ilyas made his Test debut against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 4, 1964 and played his last Test match against England in Dhaka from February 28 to March 3, 1969, according to the national board.
Apart from a Test century, the opening batsman boasted a record 12 first-class tons, having scored 4,607 runs in the format.
His solitary Test century came in the third Test match of a 2-0 home win over New Zealand in March-April 1965. He played a masterful 126 opening the batting as Pakistan chased down the 202-run target in Karachi to seal the series.
He played twice on England’s tour in 1968-69, making 42 runs in four innings. At the start of his second tour of Australia he was punched in the face and was also accused of indiscipline.
Rather than return home, he applied for Australian citizenship and finished the season playing cricket for Waverley in Sydney. He made his last appearance for Pakistan in the BCCP Trophy final in 1971-72 when he helped PIA achieve victory.
