LONDON, Sept 4: An allegation attributed to cricketer Yasir Hameed by the News of the World newspaper on Saturday threatened to heap more disgrace on the embattled Pakistan team. Yasir reportedly claimed in an interview with the tabloid that Pakistani players had been fixing “almost every match”. But the batsman denied in a television interview that he had ever spoken to the paper.

Yasir played in last week's fourth test against England, in which Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir are alleged to have deliberately bowled no balls in conspiracy with bookmakers.

The News of the World said its Sunday edition would claim that a fourth Pakistan player was being investigated by the ICC, but that he cannot be named for legal reasons.

The tabloid said Butt, Aamir and Asif face a total of 23 charges from the ICC. The captain of Pakistans limited overs teams has apologised to cricket fans for the controversy.

The newspaper said the latest edition would include proof that Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan was mistaken in his assertion that the paper recorded Majeed discussing the timing of the no balls after they were bowled on Aug 26.

Mr Hasan has accused the ICC of bias for banning the players while police are still looking into the case.

“After the shocking, arbitrary and high-handed suspension of the three Pakistani cricketers through the ICC's uncalled for action, nothing is coming to me as a surprise,” Mr Hasan said in a statement. “Rather, my apprehensions that there is a rat in the whole affair are being strengthened.”

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, has denied that the charges were evidence of bias and said the ICC was committed to maintaining the country's status as a full member of the body.

The International Cricket Council suspended Asif, Aamir and test captain Salman Butt this week while it investigates them for various offenses under the sport's anti-corruption code.

The ICC has not detailed the charges, which followed a sting operation detailed in last week's News of the World that alleged a middleman accepted payment in exchange for the deliberate no balls in the match at Lord's _ which Pakistan lost by an innings and 225 runs for its worst ever test defeat.

The ICC has called it the biggest fixing scandal to hit cricket for a decade.

The trio were released without criminal charge after being questioned by London police on Friday, but could be banned from cricket for life if found guilty.

The Pakistan Cricket Board's legal adviser said on Saturday that Butt, Aamir and Asif had denied knowledge of any alleged wrongdoing by the middleman, agent Mazhar Majeed.

“The players have informed the police that the man was their agent, but they had no knowledge,” about his alleged wrongdoing, Tafazzul Rizvi told private television channels.

Shahid Afridi said on Saturday that the players in the squad for the remaining two Twenty20 and five one-day matches against England were upset by the allegations.

“On behalf of these boys _ I know they're not in this series _ I want to say sorry to all cricket lovers and all cricketing nations,” Afridi said.

“It's very bad news,” Afridi said on the eve of Sunday's first Twenty20 in Cardiff. “It's a big challenge for me as captain but we're all ready. The coach and I are not talking about the issue _ we are here to play cricket.”

“I've told the boys, 'don''t read the newspapers,'” Afridi said.

The News of the World has accused Majeed of acting as a middleman, accepting money in exchange for getting Asif and Aamir to bowl intentional no balls. --Agencies