LAHORE, Sept 24: Former Test captain Moin Khan’s lawyer served a legal notice worth Rs100 million to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for defaming the former captain’s name by issuing wrong press statements regarding Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf’s dispute with the Indian Cricket League (ICL) over breach of contract.

“According to the allegations levelled through repeated false and engineered statements by the PCB officials that my client managed to pressurise Mohammad Yousuf to join the Indian Cricket League. An agreement was executed among Essel Sports (Private) Limited and Mohammad Yousuf in this regard. Later on the said agreement was self-terminated by Yousuf and the player’s fee received by him was paid back to my client,” the lawyer Imran Aziz Qureshi stated in the notice.

Yousuf had signed a deal with the ICL along with nine other Pakistani cricketers to play for it for the next three years. But on the advice of the then PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf, Yousuf decided to dissociate himself from the rebel league to join BCCI’s recognised Indian Premier League (IPL).

But the ICL moved the case to an arbitrator court in India, which has yet to give its decision, while banning Yousuf from the IPL till the final decision on the case.

“My client, a renowned international cricket player, carries great respect. As captain of the Pakistan cricket team, he used to carry the Pakistan flag with him. Pakistan, under his captaincy, won many famous events and matches. But his reputation has been damaged now, thanks to the different statements made by the PCB officials in front of the print and electronic media.

“It is also pertinent to mention here that the different proceedings are pending/adjudication in the matter of Yousuf before the honorable Mumbai High Court. In the civil court at Lahore, whereas arbitration proceedings are also in adjudication before the learned arbitrator at Mumbai,” the notice said.

“Since all matters are pending at different courts and forums, it is a highly objectionable and contemptuous action on the part of the officials as well as the learned legal advisor of the PCB to be passing on such statements to the media. It raises doubts in the minds of the general public of Pakistan as well as the international world that my client is not a nationalist and patriotic citizen of Pakistan and his actions are based on fraud.”

“Where it is very much in the knowledge of your good self and other members of the PCB that Yousuf through his own sweet wish and will executed the said agreement, received heavy amount as a part of his annual player’s fee, credited to his bank account through a cross cheque issued in his favour by Game On (Private) Limited on behalf of Essel Sports (Private) Limited.”

“When Yousuf planned to breach the aforementioned agreement without any prior intimation and information, he transmitted back the said player’s fee to the bank account of Game On (Private) Limited.

“Such immoral and unethical statements on behalf of the PCB have not only caused great loss and damage to the reputation of my client, he has also been under severe mental torture and agony.

“So under his instructions, I hereby direct you to immediately clarify the position of my client before the national and international world through the media and also forward a written apology to my client in regard to the damage done to his reputation through the aforementioned statements.”

“You are advised to pay my client Rs100 million as compensation for damaging his reputation within a span of three days after receiving this legal notice. Otherwise I have clear instructions from my client to proceed against the PCB as well as others under the prevalent laws of Pakistan,” the notice further states.