Pak cricket once again in news for wrong reason. - Page 3

London: Pakistan has lashed out at the International Cricket Council (ICC) for suspending three of its players who face "spot-fixing" charge. The Pakistan High Commissioner to UK, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, has sought to insinuate that ICC president Sharad Pawar has a hand in that decision. (See: Pak match-fixing scandal in pics)

Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir have been provisionally suspended by the ICC after allegations of match-fixing during the England series. (Video special: Match-fixing storm)

Hasan said the three Pakistani cricketers were innocent and had been framed by "Indian bookies" in the spot-fixing scandal. He said, "I will do everything possible to defend the cricketers because they're innocent." (Watch: What is spot-fixing?)

Speaking to NDTV's Yusra Askari, Hasan said no charges would be framed against the three cricketers "as there's no incriminating evidence against them." He also said that pacer Mohammad Asif's ex-girlfriend and actress Veena Malik was trying to blackmail Asif as she had an axe to grind with him.

The High Commissioner said he smelt a rat in the News of the Word expose on spot-fixing. The ICC, he said, had made a "mistake" and it had "no business taking this action." He threatened to sue the ICC for its "unethical decision of suspending the players" and said it was trying to make Pakistan a "scapegoat" for its inefficiency.

In a separate interview to BBC, Hasan was particularly critical of ICC Chief Executive Lorgat and President Sharad Pawar, saying he sensed a "conspiracy" behind the suspensions.

Lorgat, he said, was "very sympathetic and supportive" when the two had met at the Pakistan High Commission in London on Thursday. But during the meeting, he said, Lorgat had received a call from Sharad Pawar and the suspension came soon after, insinuating that Pawar played a role. (Watch: Indian bookies framed our players, says Hasan)

Lorgat has denied this outright, calling this the biggest scandal and one as worrying as the one that involved ex South Africa captain Hansie Cronje.

"The three players met me, requested me to ask the Pakistan Cricket Board not to consider them for the rest of the series because they wanted to clear their name and honour. Accordingly, I conveyed their request to PCB chief Ijaz Butt who accepted it, but all of a sudden the ICC came out with the notice," Hasan said.

"When Lorgat came to me I told him that the players themselves had opted out and how ECB chairman Giles Clarke was happy with their decision.

"I heard him (Lorgat) talking to Pawar. I don't know what transpired between them but immediately after that he left my office and prepared a 5-page notice and handed it to the players. There seems to be a conspiracy to keep Pakistan out," said.

"He (Lorgat) should have that courage to tell me that he was serving notices to the players...That shows how inefficient the ICC is. They did not hold any inquiry, do independent investigation. ICC is trying to make Pakistan a scapegoat because it is not able to run cricket efficiently," he said in a scathing attack on the world body.

Stating that the ICC had no authority to punish the players without conducting an independent inquiry, Hasan said, "Pending an inquiry they (ICC) cannot take any action. Till the investigations of London's metropolitan police and the Scotland Yard are over, neither PCB not ICC can take any action against the players."