ICL drops case against Yusuf

KARACHI: The Indian Cricket League has dropped its case against Mohammad Yusuf after the senior batsman, described as a 'turncoat' by the PCB legal adviser, withdrew his counter-charges against the rebel Twenty20 venture.
    
"The position now is that Yousuf himself appeared before the arbitrator and said he was withdrawing his counter charges against the ICL so that issue is now closed," Tafazzul Rizvi, the legal advisor of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.
    
The ICL had filed a case against Yousuf before the arbitrator Justice Saraf in Mumbai for violating a contract with them signed in 2007 by joing the Indian Premier League.
    
The arbitrator had issued a stay order against Yousuf from playing in any other league in competition with the ICL.
    
"Since Yousuf has become a 'turncoat' the Board has nothing more to do with him or his legal battles. He is now a banned player for us," said Rizvi about Yousuf, who has rejoined the ICL.
    
Previously, the PCB had been providing legal assistance and support to Yousuf in his legal battle against the ICL and Rizvi himself appeared before the Indian arbitrator to plead Yousuf's case.
    
Rizvi said the PCB had also withdrawn a civil suit against former Test captain Moin Khan in the Lahore civil court after they made him a party in the Yousuf and ICL case.

The Board claims Moin is the front man for ICL in Pakistan and has helped them recruit players for a commission. Asked about the appeal filed by Yousuf in the Mumbai high court with the help of the PCB against the arbitrator's stay order, Rizvi said that was also now "dead".
     
The PCB has sent a legal notice to Yousuf to pay back the fees the board spent on assisting and supporting him legally against the ICL.
    
Yousuf is yet to respond to the notice and sources say the new board Chairman Ejaz Butt also has no intentions of turning the notice into a proper suit in the courts.
    
Moin has defended Yousuf claiming that the senior batsman was not treated properly by the board and the team.     

Rizvi also said the board had still not submitted documents and other evidence detailing the disciplinary violations by fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar in the Lahore high court.
    
"We will hopefully do it in a day or two after the Eid holidays," Rizvi added.
    
The Lahore high court has asked the board to submit documentary evidence of Shoaib's past indiscretions and penalties while hearing a petition from the fast bowler pleading for the 18-months ban and Rs seven million fine to be lifted.
    
The fine and ban were imposed by an appellate tribunal of the PCB after he was initially banned for five years by the disciplinary committee of the board in March.