Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday said the rebel Indian Cricket League cannot prevent Mohammad Yousuf from playing for the country during the upcoming series against India by serving the player with a legal notice.

PCB Chairman Naseem Ashraf said the Board was prepared to offer the best possible legal help to Yousuf to fight the legal notice sent to him by the Essel Group-owned ICL for cancelling a contract with them.

"The ICL cannot prevent him from playing for Pakistan. Yousuf signed a contract for them but later he cancelled it and since the ICL has not started yet, any other player or he can do this," said Ashraf.

Yousuf was one of five Pakistani players who signed up for the ICL in August but last month accepted PCB's central contract and made himself available for national selection. He also signed a contract for the BCCI-promoted Indian Premier Cricket League, which is seen by many as an attempt by the Indian board to derail the ICL which is yet to get off the ground.

"National duty comes first and above everything else and no player can be stopped from playing for his country by any private contract," he said.