NEW DELHI - Among all the allegations by Mohammed Shami's wife against him, the most damning one for the cricketer was his involvement with a Pakistani girl.
Shami's wife Hasin Jahan alleged that the fast-bowler met a girl named Alshba in Dubai, after India's tour of South Africa, and also took money from her on the behest of a certain Mohammad bhai.
Taking cognisance of Jahan's claims, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) launched an investigation to look for a possible match-fixing angle.
Now, after much mud-slinging from both Shami and his wife over the past couple of weeks, Alishba has finally broken her silence.
According to Alishba, her relationship with Shami started soon after India's defeat against Pakistan in the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in England.
Shami had confronted a rude Pakistani fan in that match. The altercation made headlines and that's how Alishba got interested in the pacer. She contacted him on social media, and soon the duo became friends.
"I am one of his followers, which is how I became Shami's friend. Just like he has lakhs of followers, I am one among those normal fans. I have sent him messages," Alishba was quoted as saying by ABP News.
"As a person, I really like Shami. As any fan that has idolised a celebrity, they always dream of meeting their idol. I have a lot of respect for him and we became good friends. We had a normal conversation," she added.
Shami's wife had earlier alleged that his husband has abused her physically and mentally on multiple occasions and has been involved in extra-marital affairs. A case was registered against Shami on the basis of a written complaint filed by her.
In recent developments on the case, Shami told a media outlet that his wife has the passwords of all his social media accounts, hinting that she might have fabricated the evidence.
"Instead of issuing an apology to me in front of Bengal Police and media persons, he is trying to hide his mistakes with false accusations. What is the point of it when an investigation is already underway?" Jahan reacted.
On being asked if she was satisfied with the investigation, Jahan replied in the affirmative.