LAHORE, June 11: Former Test batsman Mohammad Ilyas has slammed the national selection committee chairman Aamir Sohail and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for destroying the careers of youngsters and lacking a professional approach.

“The PCB chairman should sit together with his chief selector and advise him to behave like a professional selector,” Ilyas said during a press conference here on Wednesday.

Ilyas, who played 20 Tests between 1963 and 1973, alleged that Aamir was going against his words and at the same time created doubts in the minds of several players.

He reminded that at the time of becoming chief selector in March, Aamir had vowed he would give each and every player at least four to five opportunities before deciding whether that player deserve a permanent spot.

“But in a short span of three months, Naved Latif, Rana  Naveed-ul-Hasan, Saleem Elahi and Mohammad Zahid were screened out without getting proper chances,” he noted.

Ilyas further said that Aamir should not have a bias attitude for any of the players especially those who were in line of  selection for the national team.

The former opening batsman alleged that merit was not the criteria when the selection of opener Imran Nazir for the current England tour came up.

Ilyas added that Imran, who according to Aamir himself had  some batting flaws, missed the trials matches held a couple of months earlier as he preferred to play league cricket in Dhaka.

He said that Imran played a couple of club matches at Mughalpura ground here in front of chief selector, who decided to get draft him back in the Pakistan squad.

Ilyas stated that Imran Farhat and various other players sacrificed a few of their league matches in England for those ‘absurd’ trials games. “But these players were inexplicably overlooked for national team. Instead those missing from the trial matches were rewarded.”

Ilyas remarked that Inzamam-ul-Haq should have been in the squad for England tour. He alleged that PCB’s appointed trainer Dennis Waight had conspired by opting to make Inzamam shed weight with drugs instead of physical exercises. By using the medicine Inzamam’s muscles weakened and he failed to click during the recent World Cup.

Furthermore, he suggested Moin Khan should be appointed  captain of Pakistan team as the former skipper was still likely to play competitive cricket in the next three to four years.

But Ilyas feared that someone at the top of PCB was not ready to bring Moin back.

He advised that under Moin’s leadership another captain for the  future should be groomed. “No one can predict a captain from the  current lot of youngsters because no one can boast of secure future in the light of rapid changes in the team in recent times.”

He claimed that it was the same unseen forces who stopped Moin brought back Rashid Latif when Moin had proved his credentials by performing in the last domestic season. Under Moin’s captaincy PIA won the Quaid-i-Azam and National one-day tournament.

When pointed out that Moin had some flaws in his wicket-keeping, Ilyas ignored the claims saying he was a good choice as both as wicket-keeper and captain.

He gave the example of former England captain Mike Brearley, who was neither a good batsman nor an outstanding fielder, but he only maintained his position because of his exceptional leadership qualities.

Ilyas said that PCB should appoint well-disciplined  officials both in the selection committee and in the team management. “The discipline records of Aamir, national coach Javed Miandad and skipper Rashid are not exemplary. How you can expect a well-discipline team with such officials.”

Ilyas expressed his surprise over the decision of PCB to send a two-man committee to Sialkot despite knowing the ICC does not  allow international cricket in cities where five-star hotel facilities weren’t available.

“The PCB knows there was no five-star hotel in Sialkot then why it chose to send a committee there,” he asked.