Pakistan High Commissioner to Britain Wajid S Hassan gave a new twist to the spot-fixing scandal involving the Pakistan cricket team.

Hassan said the three accused players were "innocent" and Indian bookmakers were involved in the whole murky episode.

"I found that all these three players were absolutely innocent. They were not involved, they have been taken for a ride and the agent (Mazhar Majeed) was the culprit, in the sense that he was responsible for defrauding some Asian bookies," Hassan said.

"The British press says Asian but if they were from Pakistan they (British media) would have called Pakistanis, which means some Indian bookies were involved in it. This Majeed allegedly defrauded these Indian bookies and so the newspaper investigated this sort of sting operation through their sources here," he told NDTV.

Hassan's statement came even as the International Cricket Council had charged the three players -- Test captain Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer -- with corruption offences and provisionally suspended them from all forms of the game pending a decision on the charges.

Succumbing to all round pressure, Pakistan had yesterday dropped the tainted trio from the ODI series against England scandal but strongly defended them and vowed full support.

Refusing to accept that the three players were dropped in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal, the Pakistan High Commissioner had said the trio had opted out.

"They are extremely disturbed with what has happened in the past one week. They have maintained that they are innocent and on account of the mental torture that has hugely affected them, they are not in the right frame of mind to play any further," Hassan had said.

"Therefore, they have requested the Pakistan Cricket Board not to consider them for the rest of the matches until their names are cleared," he added.

Hassan had also raised serious doubts on the authenticity of the News of the World's expose, saying, "What is the reputation of those people who have brought us this story?"

In an interview on BBC television, Hassan had said, "We are not seeing on the video what the date is or what the time is."

"Do you have answers to these questions? The video wasn't timed or dated. It could have been filmed before or after the match, or at a different time.

"Pakistan to sue NOTW if allegations are untrue"

Meanwhile, Pakistan Sports Minister Aijaz Jakhrani has threatened to sue the British tabloid, which has exposed the spot-fixing scandal involving the nation's cricket team, if the tainted trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer come out clean in the investigations.

Jakhrani maintained that the three players were innocent until proven guilty and the Pakistan government will take the newspaper to the court if the allegations were found untrue.

"A player is the representative of a country. Salman Butt is a Pakistan player so is Asif and Aamer. So it is the name of the country which is at stake. In case the allegations are not proved, definitely we will file a case and sue them (the newspaper). British laws are strict in this regard," Jakhrani told a Pakistani TV channel.

The Sports Minister also refused to accept that the tainted players were dropped from the Twenty20 and ODI series in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal, saying they have been withdrawn to facilitate investigation.

"The investigation is being done by Scotland Yard in London and the team is now based and will play their matches outside London (Taunton)," he said.

"The three players have yesterday arrived in London with regard to investigation and will remain busy with the investigations. So, they won't get anytime to practice and that's why they have been kept aside," Jakhrani insisted.

Jakhrani's statement came even as the International Cricket Council had charged the players with corruption offences and provisionally suspended the trio from all forms of the game pending a decision on the charges.

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