LONDON: Convicted Pakistani cricketer Muhammad Asif has reaffirmed his complete denial of any agreement to bowl a no-ball at Lords on 26th August 2010 by way of his appeal papers launched against both of his convictions –conspiracy to cheat and accepting the corruption money.

The pacer, who in July 2010 was ranked 2nd by the ICC in the category of leading test bowlers, is resolute in his contention that he did not bowl the no-ball in issue intentionally, and has never accepted any money from the criminally disgraced weekly paper ‘News of the World’ journalist Mazher Mahmood (aka Fake Sheikh).

Muhammad Asif’s new counselor Barrister Ravi Sukul of Balham Chambers confirmed that his client’s appeal documents have been filed. “Fresh and novel evidence is being assembled to support the fast bowler’s appeal against conviction. A hearing date will be announced as soon as it is known,” Sukul stated.

From the beginning of police investigation, Asif had been insisting that he had played no part in the spot-fixing conspiracy. He had also been stressing that it were the now-defunct weekly paper –closed in disgrace after it was found involved in phone-hacking and illegal phone-call interceptions– and Mazhar Majeed, the so-called sports agent, which trapped him into it.

The News has learnt that Asif’s legal team is relying on the fact that the two men contrived the spot-fixing plot into which Asif was implicated but no evidence was found that could be held against him.

“Prosecution evidence presented at the fast bowler’s trial disclosed that not one note of the marked money paid hand over fist by the ‘Fake Sheikh’ to Majeed was found in Asif’s room, or on his person or in his bank account,” Sukul told The News.

The practices adopted by the NOTW to obtain stories have been widely condemned all over the world, and their exposure has damaged media mogul Rupert Murdoch, perhaps irreparably. The paper was shut down after it was disclosed that it hacked countless phones, harassed people, set traps and made the lives of celebrities hell, especially those who didn’t agree to the NOTW demands.

“Despite the illegal interception of private telephone communications, the NOTW could not provide the prosecution with any text messages or any phone conversations implicating Asif into any wrongdoing whatsoever. The former ICC top Ranking test fast bowler is full of resolve that he will prove the 1.5 inch popping crease overstep no-ball he bowled was never any part of any agreement he had with anyone. The delivery was never intended to be a no-ball. It is plainly evident from the TV coverage of the match that Asif delivered a wicket-taking delivery at 82.7 mph at opening batsman Andrew Strauss who met the ball defensively. The next ball Asif bowled to Strauss carried the same lethal intent as its predecessor. It smashed into the opener’s stumps and sent him back to the Lords dressing room.”

On Wednesday 23rd November the Court of Appeal presided over by the Lord Chief Justice of England & Wales Lord Judge, dismissed the appeals made by former Pakistani captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammed Amir and maintained their sentences handed out by Justice Mr Cooke at the Southwark Crown Court. Both cricketers appealed against their respective prison sentences only, not their convictions. Asif didn’t join those two appeals.

His case is to be distinguished on evidential grounds.