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We were never introduced to Ayesha: Pak team

April 06, 2010 09:27 IST

Members and officials of the Pakistan cricket team that toured India in 2005 and attended a dinner hosted by the Siddiqui family in Hyderabad have said they had never been introduced to any girl named Ayesha Siddiqui as Shoaib Malik's wife.

Former Test cricketer, Salim Altaf who was the manager of the team on that tour, said they had gone to attend the reception on the request of Shoaib Malik.

"Malik had told us that the Siddiqui's were his future in-laws and the parents of the girl he intended to marry soon," Altaf said.

"We went because of Malik but we never met anyone introduced to us as Ayesha Siddiqui," he said.

Pakistani opener, Imran Nazir also rejected claims by Ayesha that she had spoken to him over telephone and been introduced to him as Malik's wife.

"I don't know why she has given this statement. Malik is my close friend but I never spoke to his fiance over the phone," Nazir said.

"What she has said about me is absolutely wrong," he added.

All-rounder Abdul Razzaq said that he went to Siddiqui's home in the city for the reception during 2005 tour, but he or the players never met any girl named Ayesha.

He maintained that the players met with Ayesha's mother and father but Ayesha was not at the home.

Malik had maintained that during his visit to the Siddiqui's home, he was told that Ayesha was not present while Ayesha claimed she was told by Malik himself not to come out in front of his team-mates as she has become fat and would embarrass him.

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