March 30, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 21, 1429

KARACHI, March 29: The arbitration panel which heard the case filed by Indian Cricket League (ICL) to stop Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf from playing in the lucrative Indian Premier League would not announce its final order before April 30, ICL lawyer said.

ICL legal adviser Hitesh Jain told Geo television from Mumbai that the panel had reserved its final order on the case to announce it on April 30. This would rule out Yousuf, who was not put on IPL players’ auction in February because of the case, from playing a major part of the IPL which starts on April 18 even if the panel rules in his favour.

ICL had filed a case against Yousuf that he had first signed a contract with them and hence could not join IPL. The ‘rebel’ league had also disputed Yousuf’s claim that he had returned the advance payment amount he got from ICL to an ICL agent in Pakistan.

Jain said since the arbitration panel had reserved its order for final pronouncement the stay order on Yousuf from playing in the IPL remained.

“We are expecting a judgement where Yousuf will be prevented from participating in the IPL. Our case is that Yousuf has not returned the advance amount to ICL or to an authorised agent of ICL,” Jain said.

“The person to whom Yousuf claimed to have returned the money is not ICL’s agent in Pakistan and therefore ICL has not received any money from Yousuf. ICL still holds that there is a binding contract between ICL and Yousuf and he can’t participate in any competing league during the term of the contract,” Jain said.—Agencies