Pak board serves notice on Farhat

The PCB says Farhat violated the terms of his central contract by signing up with the ICL without clearance from the board.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has served a legal notice on Test opener Imran Farhat, who last month joined the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL).

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The PCB has asked Farhat to explain how he joined the rebel Twenty20 league while he was still a contracted player with the board and to substantiate allegations of bias and unjust treatment he made against board officials.

"I have received this notice and my lawyer will now respond to it appropriately. I am not going to back down from my stand," Farhat told Reuters on Tuesday.

"I maintain I have not been treated justly and I asked them to release me from the central contract before signing up for the ICL," he said.

A board official said that despite being a centrally contracted player, Farhat had made serious allegations against officials and selectors which needed to be explained.

The official added that the batsman had also violated the terms of his central contract by signing up to play elsewhere without clearance from the board.

"He has given seven days to respond to the notice," he said.

Farhat had accused the PCB and selectors of being biased while not selecting him for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.

"I have done nothing wrong by joining the ICL. I didn't think I was being treated fairly and would not get a chance to play for Pakistan. Being a professional cricketer I need to earn my livelihood," Farhat added.