September 04, 2007	Tuesday	Sha'aban 21, 1428

LAHORE, Sept 3: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday served a legal notice on Test opener Imran Farhat, asking him to substantiate his allegations against the board’s officials and the national selection committee.

The PCB served the notice through its lawyer on Monday on Imran who has recently joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL) after cancelling the central contract of the PCB for the period of July 1 to Dec 31, 2007.

In its notice, a copy of which was obtained by Dawn, the opener was asked to file his reply within the next seven days or he would be taken to a court of law.

‘‘That your letter dated 15-8-2007 addressed to Mr Shafqat Naghami, the Chief Operating Officer, and Zakir Khan, Director Operations of our clients, containing allegations against PCB, its officers and selection committee, is devoid of any detail.

‘‘Therefore, you are first given this opportunity to disclose the materials on the basis of which you have made such allegations, failing which the allegations will be held to be false, frivolous, concocted, unfounded, and our clients and its officers reserve their right to take appropriate action,” the notice states.

The notice also shows that Imran is still on the list of the PCB’s central contract despite the fact that he had advised the board to release him from the same on Aug 15.

‘‘That admittedly the central contract was signed by you of your own free will and consent, which is a valid document and governs the relationship between you and our clients. Therefore, after signing the same you cannot declare or raise frivolous objections about the same or unilaterally claim to have terminated it,” adds the notice.

‘‘That after signing the central contract you are bound by it, therefore any act by you in contravention of the central contract will force our clients to initiate proceedings before appropriate legal forum as the contract is a legally binding document upon both the parties,” the notice said.

‘‘That it has also come to the knowledge of our clients that while central contract is still in force, you are making commitments and entering into contracts with third parties in violation of the central contract, therefore, our clients has instructed to institute proceedings against you,” the notice further states.

When contacted, Imran Farhat sounded confused by the PCB’s stance against him. He said on one end the PCB chairman was negotiating with him, advising him not to play in the ICL and giving various assurances to protect his future. But on the other, the PCB was threatening him through this notice.

‘‘I have all proof about what I have written in my letter and I will send a perfect reply to the notice through my legal advisor,” said Imran.

He said if the PCB was still considering him on the central contract then why it had abolished his name from the 20 contracted players from its official website and had taken back the official mobile phone from him.