Rediff

Hyderabad, Feb 6: Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik denied that he had ever entered into a telephonic 'nikah' with any Indian girl and said he has been a victim of a fraud done by a family based in Hyderabad in India.

Hyderabad's MA Siddiqui has claimed that Malik had married his daughter Ayesha and pressed the cricketer to give a formal divorce.

Siddiqui had threatened his family would move court if his daughter did not get divorce, which was necessary to help her start a "new life."

Malik had earlier said his long-standing relationship with the Indian girl had ended due to differences between the two families.

Malik and his brother, Imran, said at a press conference in Lahore today that the Siddiqui family had done fraud with them.

"Yes, Shoaib had an affair with a girl named Ayesha on the internet. He wanted to marry her and Siddiqui claimed her as his daughter. But the photographs they showed of Ayesha to Malik was not that of their real daughter. They tried to commit a fraud with us," Imran said.

He said he and Malik have applied for Indian visas and will be going there soon to file a case for fraud against the Siddiquis.

"We didn't want this issue to be raked up in public but they are taking advantage of Malik's popularity as a cricketer.

"The thing is Malik liked a girl they claimed was their daughter and showed him pictures of another girl. When he did meet their daughter it was another girl," Imran claimed.