Former Pakistan Test cricketer and ex-Chief Selector Mohammad Ilyas Mahmood passed away in Lahore after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 79. His death has triggered deep sorrow across Pakistan’s cricketing fraternity.
Born on March 19, 1946, in Lahore, Mohammad Ilyas represented Pakistan in 10 Test matches during the 1960s. An opening batsman and occasional legbreak bowler, he scored 441 Test runs, including one century and two half-centuries, at an average of 23.21. His most memorable innings came during Pakistan’s tour in the 1960s when he struck 126 runs, his only Test hundred, in a historic victory. In first-class cricket, he amassed 4,607 runs at an average of 35.71, including 12 centuries, underlining his domestic pedigree.
Beyond his playing days, Mohammad Ilyas continued to serve Pakistan cricket in administrative and selection roles, most notably as Chief Selector, where he played a part in shaping national squads during a crucial phase of the game’s development.
Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, expressed deep grief over his passing. In a condolence message, the PCB Chairman extended heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family and paid tribute to Mohammad Ilyas’s contributions to Pakistan cricket.
“May Allah Almighty grant the departed soul a place in His eternal mercy and give patience and strength to the grieving family,” Mohsin Naqvi said.
Mohammad Ilyas’s services as both a cricketer and an administrator will be remembered with respect, and his passing marks the loss of a significant figure from Pakistan’s early Test cricket era.
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