Former Pakistani skipper Asif Iqbal who, has been accused of match-fixing or betting has vehemently denied his involvement even as he admitted that he knew Mumbai-based bookie Anil Steel, with whom, the CBI says, he had close links. Reacting to the CBI report on match-fixing and betting in which his name also figures, Asif, the coordinator of the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) at Sharjah told Khaleej Times from his London residence, ``yes, I know Anil and I was friendly with him but it does not mean that I am involved in any kind of match-fixing or anything.'' He said, ``this is true that Anil used to ask me my opinion on a particular match or things related to cricket and I used to give him my opinions but there was nothing like match-fixing involved in our discussions.''

The CBI report said, ``Anil Steel has disclosed that he introduced MK (alleged bookmaker Mukesh Gupta, the central character in the CBi Report), to Asif Iqbal during the World Cup inaugural ceremony at Calcutta in 1996. MK has stated that Asif Iqbal had introduced him to Jayasuriya at Sharjah, sometime in 1996.'' Asif said, ``I don't think the CBI report is going to harm cricket in any way. I think it will benefit the game once and for all and will help in bringing back the fast-fading integrity of the sport.'' He said, ``there are some retired players who work as consultant to legal bookmakers in England. I don't think there is any law to stop it.''