Pakistan match fixing claims: player's former girlfriend to meet ICC

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

The former girlfriend of the Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif has been asked to give evidence to the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit in a match-fixing investigation.

Veena Malik's manager, Sohail Rashid, said on Wednesday that the actress has been approached by the ICC after Asif was implicated in the spot fixing scandal uncovered by a News of the World sting.

"They have approached Ms Malik and will be soon meeting with her," said Rashid, although he is unsure when and where the meeting will be held.

An ICC spokesman said the game's governing body does not comment on the ongoing investigations of its anti-corruption unit.

It's not the first time that Asif had been embroiled in the off-field controversy. In 2006 he was sent home before the Champions Trophy in India after testing positive for the banned substance nandrolone along with fellow paceman Shoaib Akhtar. In 2008 he was detained at Dubai for 19 days when a small amount of opium was found in his wallet as he transferred at the airport.

Malik said that she believed an Indian national, who often called and sent text messages to Asif, was involved in illegal gambling.

"I was surprised why a guy from India is calling so frequently and sending texts to Asif," Malik said. "That was quite suspicious for me... Later on [Asif] went to Thailand to have a meeting with this particular guy."

The three players named in the allegations, captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Asif have today left the Pakistan team hotel in Taunton and headed to London.