Asif's ex-girlfriend Veena Malik receives death threats

The ex-girlfriend of tainted Pakistani cricketer Muhammad Asif on Tuesday claimed that she received death threats after meeting International Cricket Council officials to discuss match-fixing scandal.

The ex-girlfriend of tainted Pakistani cricketer Muhammad Asif on Tuesday claimed that she received death threats after meeting International Cricket Council officials to discuss match-fixing scandal.

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Veena Malik, a popular actress, model and television show host, told the British tabloid The Sun that she received a chilling warning at home after handing evidence of Asif's dealings with an Indian bookie to the ICC Anti-corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).

She also claimed that she had got a mail in which she was ordered not to talk to the media and keep her mouth shut. "I will kill you, watch what I do," she claimed the mail read.

"I was also visited two weeks ago by a man who gave me a message to say someone was going to come after me - and there would be no warning. I can't sleep at night because I fear for my life," she said.

"But if I have to die, I will die. 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 said.

Asif, 27, is one of three Pakistan players suspended and sent home amid allegations of "spot-fixing" by bowling deliberate no-balls during last month's fourth Test against England.

Veena also said that she discovered Asif's involvement in spot-fixing after she called a number in India that kept on appearing on his phone bills.

"I thought it was some women he was in touch with. But a man answered. He claimed they were working on commercial campaigns together. Asif went to Thailand without telling me. When he returned he finally admitted he met an Indian man to set up a deal," she said.

Veena also claimed in the interview that she later listened in on a telephone call as the man told Asif on the phone: "We spent a lot of money on you and you've made a commitment to us." She said: "They were offering Asif 25,000 pounds to play badly but he said he needed 128,000 pounds."

Veena also said that players may be doing it out of fear and because they are getting threats. The actress, who dated the cricket star for nearly two years, said: "He would never mention any names, but he would say, 'I'm not the only one involved'."