London, September 21
A new twist to the unfolding cricket scandal in London follows claims by a Pakistani cricketer’s former girlfriend that she has received death threats for speaking out about match-fixing.

Fast bowler Mohammed Asif’s former girlfriend Veena Malik has told the British media of an email she has received which says, “Don’t talk to the media, keep your mouth shut, bitch. I’ll kill you, watch what I do.”

Veena’s revelations, published in the Sun newspaper, have further sullied the already rock bottom reputation of Pakistan’s leading cricketers who come across as a mix of petty crooks and frustrated Lotharios.

“If I have to die, I will die”, Veena is quoted as saying. “I’m not scared of threats. I warned the Pakistan Cricket Board about match-fixing eight months ago but I was ignored. Now people have to speak out.”

She goes on to say, “The allegations have damaged my country’s image. People always considered cricket a gentleman’s game. But the ICCV and Scotland Yard are big and serious institutions. They would not be investigating without good reason.”

Veena’s shocking story about how she has been threatened comes less than 24 hours after Monday’s fracas at Lords when England’s Jonathan Trott and Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz allegedly exchanged taunts and hurled abuses at each other in the warm-up for the fourth one day international.

Trott is alleged to have yelled, “How much money are you going to make from the bookies” before Riaz responded with an offensive personal comment. According to eyewitnesses, cricket pads were thrown and former England skipper Graham Gooch had to intervene to keep the two players physically apart.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has refused to comment on the brawl. A spokeswoman for the ECB told The Tribune, “I have been told to tell you to look at the media statements on the Internet.”

A statement on the ECB website, which states that England is committed to continuing the one day NatWest Series against Pakistan, continues: “This decision was unanimously taken by the ECB board following a meeting between the ECB chairman Giles Clarke, CEO David Collier, ECB managing director (England cricket) Hugh Morris and the England captain and coach — Andrew Strauss and Andrew Flower — and a subsequent meeting with all of the England team.”

The statement goes on to refute Pakistan cricket chief Ijaz Butt’s claim that England players were bribed to throw last Friday’s match at the Oval.

“The ECB and the England players completely reject the remarks made by the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt yesterday about the England team’s conduct in the third NatWest ODI at the Brit Insurance Oval. Mr Butt’s comments were wholly irresponsible and completely without foundation,” the ECB statement says.

“The ECB expresses its gratitude for the outstanding conduct of the England team this summer and will take all legal and disciplinary action which may result from Mr Butt’s comments.

“The board and the team, however, are of a view that it remains in the best interests of world cricket, the players and in particular of cricket supporters that the tour should continue and it would set a dangerous precedent to call off a tour based on the misguided and inaccurate remarks made by one individual.

“The ECB will continue to offer the ICC its full support in taking the strongest possible action against all areas of corruption and is pledged to offering the ACSU (anti-corruption and security unit) its full support at all times.

“Given the current sensitivities surrounding this issue, the ECB believes it is imperative that any serious allegations made against another team or player should be presented through the proper channels to the ACSU. Both the ECB and Team England view the comments made by Mr Butt as defamatory and not based in fact.”