Pakistani Test opener Imran Farhat has become the first player to send a legal notice to Pakistani bookmaker Mazhar Majeed for naming him among a group of seven players allegedly involved in spot-fixing.
Farhat has sent the notice through his lawyer in the United Kingdom, John Tinker.
"The notice will be delivered to Mazhar Majeed in person and we have asked him to either tender an unconditional apology or face a suit for damages," Farhat said.
Farhat also added that he was upset and disturbed by the allegations made by Mazhar against him and he wanted to expose the man.
"I can't tolerate anyone making such allegations against me and trying to defame me," he said.
Mazhar, who was the agent for several Pakistani players, said in a video that was released by the News of the World tabloid last August in England that he had bribed Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif to deliberately bowl no-balls in the fourth Test against England at Lords.
The ICC subsequently suspended the trio who are now facing several charges from the ICC anti-corruption and security unit.
Last week in a leaked video shown on Geo News channel, Mazhar claimed that he has four other players working for him.
Mazhar named Imran Farhat, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz as those working for him.
All the four players have said they will be sending him legal notices but Imran has become the first one to actually do so.
Interestingly, until now even the suspended trio have not bothered to challenge Mazhar's claims through a legal notice.
"I don't know what the others are planning to do but I have sent him the notice and this is only because I don't want my name to be spoiled by someone I barely know," Farhat said.
Farhat made it clear that he was a current Pakistani player and could not sit by and allow people to make baseless allegations against him.
