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Out of favour opener Imran Farhat on Thursday became the first Pakistani cricketer to confirm he is on the verge of signing a lucrative deal with a breakaway Indian league.

“It’s almost done and I am about to sign the deal to play in the India league,” Farhat said.

His commitment is likely to earn him around 300,000 US dollars for a season but may cost him a place in the national side in the future.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has warned that any player who chooses to participate in the multi-million-dollar rebel league will not be considered for future selection in the national team, but Farhat was unperturbed.

“Look what has happened to me in the past six or seven months and I am not comfortable with that. I don’t only want a central contract but I want playing opportunities,” said Farhat, who was axed from the 15-man Pakistan squad for the Twenty20 World Cup.

Farhat, a 27-year-old left-handed batsman, has scored 1,655 runs in 27 Tests and 974 runs in 33 One-day Internationals (ODIs). He was also overlooked for the 50-over World Cup held in the Caribbean earlier this year.

Farhat was fined and reprimanded for a phone call he made to the chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed after he was not picked for a one-day series against Sri Lanka in May this year.

The cricketer was then placed on six-months probation during which his behaviour and attitude were to be monitored.

Farhat said he has sent a notice to the PCB asking them to release him from his players’ contract.

“I am a professional cricketer and get offers to play. What has happened with me shows that my future is not safe,” he said.

Source:Cricket News