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The Pakistan Cricket Board has served a legal notice on batsman Imran Farhat over his decision to join the Indian Cricket League after his omission from the Twenty20 squad for the World Championship. It has asked him to explain how he joined the ICL while he was still a contracted player and to substantiate his remarks at the time about the selectors.”I have received this notice [on Monday] and my lawyer will respond to it appropriately,” Farhat told . “I am not going to back down from my stand. I maintain I have not been treated justly – I asked them to release me from the central contract before signing up for the ICL.”The notice said Farhat had violated the terms of his contract by signing up to play elsewhere without obtaining the board’s consent. Farhat has seven days to respond to the notice, failing which he will be taken to court.”Even though Imran had requested for his exclusion from the central contract, the board still considers him on the contractual list which is why the opener was served a legal notice for levelling allegations on some of the PCB officials and the national selection committee,” Shafqat Naghmi, the chief operating officer of PCB, said.Farhat was on the tour of South Africa earlier this year but overlooked for the World Cup and the subsequent series in Abu Dhabi and Scotland. Though he was handed a central contract, he said he felt humiliated after being put in a Future Players Programme and being dropped from the Twenty20 squad despite being called for the preparatory camp in Karachi.Farhat and two others – Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq – who were also excluded from the Twenty20 event turned their backs on Pakistan and joined the ICL, a league which has not been recognised by the PCB or the ICC.

Scorecard and ball-by-balldetails
How they wereout

Misbah-ul-Haq turned in another spectacular performance in the game’s shortest format, smashing an unbeaten 87 to set up a massive 102-run victory in Pakistan’s one-off Twenty20 match against Bangladesh in Karachi. The visitors were comprehensively outplayed yet again as they finished their miserable tour with another abject performance, conceding 203 runs in the field and managing just 101 in reply.In the first Twenty20 international to be held in Pakistan, Shoaib Malik’s decision to bat first seemed to have gone awry when in-form openers Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal were both dismissed in the first over. Bangladesh’s joy was shortlived, however, as Younis Khan and Misbah made light of the loss of wickets to propel Pakistan to 84 for 2 by the end of the ninth over.Both batsmen used their feet well to unsettle the bowlers and complemented their big hits with superb running between the wickets to keep Pakistan on course for a big total. Younis was the more aggressive of the two, racing along to 47 with the help of some effortless cuts and drives before falling to the first ball from Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s best performer through the series.Even that wicket couldn’t stem the scoring rate as Malik biffed some huge sixes before being stumped off Abdur Razzaq for a quickfire 35. It’s not often that the fall of the home side’s captain is greeted by a huge roar, but it was this time as local boy Shahid Afridi walked out. However, much to the fans’ disappointment, his stay was a short one, bowled by Shahadat Hossain as he looked to clobber the ball over midwicket.The star of the innings, though, was Misbah, who again demonstrated how Twenty20 isn’t all about power-hitting as he combined impeccably-timed hits with brisk running. With the ropes pulled in, the boundaries were short and Misbah capitalised with five sixes, all on the leg side. This was the highest score by a Pakistan batsman in a Twenty20 international and it took the hosts to 203, their biggest total in this format. The Bangladesh attack was innocuous and their fielding, despite a few spectacular efforts, was generally below par.Pakistan’s new-ball bowlers, Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir, who were so impressive during the World Twenty20 last year, throttled the runs by effectively mixing up both their length and pace. Bangladesh’s openers led a chancy existence: two of Tamim Iqbal’s mishits were spilled by Afridi, while Nazimuddin was fortunate to see his attempted pull fly off the top edge for six.After Tanvir foxed Tamim with a high full toss, Mohammad Ashraful, with a handy career strike-rate around 180, strode out but his forgettable tour continued as he holed out to long-on for 13. The visitors still had an outside chance at 85 for 2 with Nazimuddin going strong but an abject collapse followed.Eight wickets fell for 16 runs as they slid to an embarrassing defeat in a format they were expected to be far more competitive in. The collapse was triggered off by a tight spell from Afridi which caused the already-steep asking-rate to climb even more, prompting some injudicious strokes and running between the wickets from the visitors. By the time Afridi completed his quota Bangladesh were out of the game, having slid to 95 for 6.Mansoor Amjad, the debutant legspinner who was a spectator for much of the match, had a dream start to complete the formalities: brought on in the 15th over, he took 3 for 3 in six balls as Bangladesh fluffed their last chance to salvage some pride in this series.

Confusion continues to surround county players who have signed with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League. Last week the ECB made clear that overseas players who had signed would not be eligible to play this season, but the actual situation remains clouded.Yorkshire seem resigned to be without Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who signed for the Pakistani Lahore Badshahs franchise, and Hampshire are still seeking clarification on the position relating to Shane Bond. Glamorgan are still hoping that Jason Gillespie will be joining them, and Sussex are pressing for a ruling on Mushtaq Ahmed.Cricinfo understands that almost all the England players who have signed with the ICL will not be returning to India for the 2008-09 events, although it is not clear if that also applies to Paul Nixon.Further confusion comes with Kolpak players. While overseas players need approval from their home boards to play county cricket, that does not apply to Kolpaks and so they are free to sign with the ICL and continue to play county cricket.Two county captains – Dale Benkenstein (Durham) and Nicky Boje (Northamptonshire) – have signed with the ICL but are expected to play, but Nic Pothas, who was expected to replace Shane Warne as Hampshire’s skipper, has been overlooked because of his ICL links. There is also confusion as to his status. While he was expected to be reclassified as an England-qualified player in 2008, the paperwork is not complete. Stuart Law, the Lancashire captain, is down to play in the ICL immediately before the county season starts.Surrey are confident that Saqlain Mushtaq, signed from Sussex in the close season and now an England-qualified player, will be free to play for them.

Morne Morkel, the South Africa fast bowler, has signed for Yorkshire as cover for Rana Naved-ul-Hasan for the early part of the season.Morkel, who played for Kent last season in their Twenty20 campaign, had a reasonable one-day series against West Indies last week, picking up seven wickets in three games with a best of 4 for 36.”I am really pleased to have signed for Yorkshire,” Morkel said. “Although it is a short-term deal I am excited about the opportunity to play for such a historic and important club. The opportunity to play county cricket is one I couldn’t ignore.”I want to use the time I have with Yorkshire to help get the team off to a flying start and develop my own game. It will be great to play under a captain like Darren Gough and I know I can learn a lot from him about quick bowling.”Morkel has signed on a “week by week” contract until the availability of Naved-ul-Hasan – whose Pakistan board have expressed concerns over the amount of county cricket their internationals play – is confirmed.”Morne Morkel is a quality acquisition and a very talented prospect,” Stewart Regan, the Yorkshire chief executive, said. “We are pleased to have secured his services and he will provide excellent cover for Rana Naved during the first part of the season. He is highly regarded by Geoffrey Boycott who tells me that he can bowl very quickly indeed.”I’ve also spoken to Jacques Rudolph who has been impressed by Morne’s performances and is looking forward to playing with him at Headingley.”

England’s chastened cricketers regrouped in the howling winds of Wellington’s Basin Reserve on Tuesday, as they prepared to put their tour of New Zealand back on track after Sunday’s humiliating 189-run defeat in the first Test in Hamilton. With criticism ringing in their ears after the abject nature of their final-day collapse, the batsmen were put through their paces in a morning net session, not least by a fired-up Steve Harmison, who seemed to have been piqued into finding that extra gear that he so obviously lacked last week.Harmison’s efforts, however, may have come too late to spare him the axe when England unveil their team for Thursday’s second Test. The recently appointed selector, James Whitaker, watched his spell closely from the sidelines, having agreed to stay on to oversee the remainder of the series. His presence alone, however, reaffirms how important it is for England to be seen to take action after such a desperate defeat. Stuart Broad, who made his solitary Test appearance in Colombo before Christmas, remains the favourite to take Harmison’s place.Nevertheless, it’s not all doom and gloom in the England camp, as Ian Bell was at pains to point out after practice. “Obviously it’s disappointing to lose a Test match, but hopefully it’s something we can shake off very quickly,” he said. “We’ve just got to make sure we turn up here prepared to win. I think everyone believes that. We’ve just got to go out there and express ourselves, and believe that we can win this Test.”Bell provided England’s only reason to cheer in that second innings, as he chivvied the tail along with a composed and attractive half-century that served to highlight how good the going might have been had his team-mates got stuck in at the top of the order. He finished with 54 not out from 151 balls, having added 33 for the last wicket with Monty Panesar, but was honest enough to admit that his innings hadn’t been compiled when the pressure was really on.”Given the position we were in, it was only a matter of time before they started bringing the field up to try and keep me on strike by tossing a few balls up,” Bell said. “It was nice to bat a bit freer at the end, but to be honest the result wasn’t the ideal situation to do that. Hopefully we’ll all get back to the way we used to play – play a bit more on instinct and go out and be really positive.”In the aftermath of the defeat, which took England’s recent record to four draws and three losses in seven Tests, Michael Vaughan suggested that there was “a lack of confidence” in the dressing-room, particularly among the batsmen, who have mustered three centuries between them in those games. Bell tried to play his captain’s comments down, although he did admit that things were not quite as relaxed as they used to be.”I wouldn’t say it’s a lack of confidence, we’ve just put a bit of pressure on ourselves,” he said. “We need to free it up a little bit and back ourselves. The top six have got some great records, so we need to go out there and show that. We need to play naturally, and if we see the ball, hit it. We need to get back to how we used to score runs.”Confidence can, however, come across as recklessness if wrongly carried through, and Bell admitted that it’s a fine balance. “I don’t think anyone’s more nervous than normal going out to bat,” he said, “but sometimes you have to come back at the bowlers a little bit more. We were guilty of sitting in a little too much, and didn’t take it to them enough. But a lot of credit has to go to their bowlers. They showed us how to play on those slow wickets.”Though Vaughan claimed after Hamilton that getting straight back onto the horse was the best remedy, England have just one more day of practice and mental preparation before they head back into the fray. Bell, however, was confident that the team would be ready to compete properly this week. “The guys have been trying and training really hard, but there’s not that much we have to change,” he said. “It’s just about a slight difference of mindset, a few little tweaks here and there. We’ve had a good session today, the wicket looks good, and we’re excited about trying to turn it around.”

Tasmania 6 for 165 (Bailey 86, Dighton 63, Bollinger 5-48) trail New South Wales 7 for 512 dec (Forrest 177, Haddin 100, Hughes 51, Katich 51) by 347 runs
Scorecard

Doug Bollinger’s five wickets set Tasmania a major challenge to avoid the follow-on after Brad Haddin’s century helped New South Wales post a threatening 7 for 512 declared. Bollinger snaffled three wickets from seven balls in his first spell and returned for two late additions as the Tigers reached stumps at 6 for 165, needing a further 198 to make the Blues bat again.Luke Butterworth was on 3 and Brett Geeves had 4 at the close following an insipid batting display from all but George Bailey and Michael Dighton. The pair came together when Bollinger’s new-ball efforts had felled Tasmania to 3 for 10 and their 144-run partnership guided the visitors out of the immediate embarrassment zone.Bailey made 86 and Dighton scored 63 but their strong performances only served to highlight the disappointing results from the rest of the order – no other player reached double-figures. Bollinger initially trapped Michael Di Venuto lbw in the fifth over and three balls later had Travis Birt bowled for 0, before returning in the seventh over to add the Tigers’ new captain Daniel Marsh (0) to his collection.The steadying partnership lasted until late in the day when Grant Lambert bowled Dighton, at which time Bollinger came back to have Bailey caught behind and Sean Clingeleffer bowled two balls later. The Tigers’ batting was all the more frustrating for them after they had seen the Blues post a huge score thanks in part to Haddin’s 100.Peter Forrest had set things up on the first day with 177 and Haddin took over the responsibilities on day two. He had good support from Lambert (32), while Beau Casson and Matthew Nicholson each finished unbeaten on 34. The Tigers desperately need a similar lower-order fightback to avoid a completely one-sided affair.

Trinidad and Tobago’s (T&T) women cricketers defied St Lucia – and the rains – to lift the West Indies Women Cricket Federation regional tournament league title in Barbados. Stacy Ann King and Anisa Mohammed played star roles in the victory at the Passage Road Ground. King hit a robust half-century to take T&T’s total to 213 in 48.3 overs, before Mohammed wrecked St Lucia’s innings, which ended 33 runs short of the revised target.St Lucia followed the tournament trend by winning the toss and asking T&T to bat. King responded by blasting 83, and T&T also had useful contributions from Devika Singh, who scored 22, captain Marissa Aguillera (17), as well as Gaitri Seetahal, who remained unbeaten on 24. Naralee Cooper took 4 for 35 off ten overs for St Lucia while her sister, Roylin Cooper, took 2 for 33.In reply, St Lucia stumbled to 49 for 3 after 14 overs, when rain interrupted the innings. Aguillera and Co would have been hoping desperately for the weather to clear, with the other two fixtures of the day – Barbados v Grenada and Jamaica v St Vincent and the Grenadines – being washed out.T&T had already failed to complete two matches due to inclement weather. In their first outing against Jamaica, T&T batted but were awarded a point after rain flooded the outfield. A day later, T&T were unable to take the field after the weather ruined their match against Barbados. But with successive victories against defending champs St Vincent and Grenada, they were level on points with Barbados going into today’s match. The bad weather meant only a win would ensure them the title. This time, the elements were on their side.St Lucia resumed their innings and were still in contention to pull off an upset at 116 for 6. However, Mohammed’s figures of 5 for 26, and Gaitri Seetahal’s 2 for 26, made sure there was no repeat of 2004, when T&T narrowly lost out on the title to hosts St Vincent, after suffering two rained-out matches. St Lucia folded for 138, chasing the revised target of 171. Swaylyn Williams top scored with 30 while West Indies batsman Nadine George (22) and Purner Thomas, who scored 20, also gave good support.T&T and Barbados will both enjoy a bye today, while the other four teams play for the other two semi-final spots in the knockout phase of the competition.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out