KARACHI: Pakistan’s fast bowler, Salman Mirza has sent a legal notice seeking Rs 10 crore in damages to a private TV channel and its journalist over the airing of false news.
The notice was sent to the channel and the journalist for spreading inaccurate information. Salman Mirza confirmed this by issuing a legal notice on social media. The channel and the journalist received the notice because they disseminated false information.
Salman Mirza confirmed this by issuing a legal notice on social media. The legal documents require the journalist and the channel to issue an apology while removing all false information from their various broadcasting platforms.
The notice stated that all requested requirements need to be fulfilled within seven days to prevent the initiation of legal proceedings. The private television station had broadcast a news story which accused Salman Mirza of inappropriate behaviour toward a woman at a Kandy hotel during the T20 World Cup, according to the report.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) dismissed the report because they considered it unverified information that presented misleading content. The PCB stated that broadcasting such unverified news was malicious and irresponsible journalism and reserved the right to take action against those responsible for this incident.
Shaheen Afridi among five cricketers withdraw from ‘The Hundred auction’
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi is one of five overseas players to have withdrawn from the Hundred auction at late notice, dealing a blow to the competition just hours before the bidding is due to get underway on Thursday.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Wednesday evening that the Pakistan fast bowler had pulled out of contention alongside Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, AM Ghazanfar and Peter Siddle.
The board declined to provide individual reasons for the withdrawals, though scheduling clashes with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and bilateral international commitments are believed to have been a factor.
Afridi, who previously represented Welsh Fire in 2023, was due to feature in the ‘Tier 1 Fast Bowlers’ category at Thursday’s auction. The left-armer took six wickets during his previous stint in the competition and was scheduled to return last year before withdrawing at the last minute.
It follows recent scrutiny over the participation of Pakistani cricketers in the tournament, with the ECB and the eight franchises issuing a joint statement reaffirming that all selections would be based on “performance, availability, and the needs of each team.”
The clarification came amid reports of a potential reluctance from franchises with Indian ownership links to pick Pakistani players. De Kock and Narine have also previously featured in the Hundred, representing Southern Brave and Oval Invincibles respectively.
Their absence, along with that of Ghazanfar and the veteran Australian seamer Siddle, is likely to force last-minute adjustments to franchise plans ahead of Thursday’s bidding.
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