<p>An imposter posing as a former Pakistani cricketer has duped the BBC into paying him to appear as an expert on cricket shows and even took part in a discussion involving ex-Indian batsman Aakash Chopra.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Nadeem Alam posed as ex-batsman Nadeem Abbasi to give his "expert" opinion on BBC World News, BBC Asian Network and Radio Five Live, despite only ever playing cricket for his home town of Huddersfield.<br /><br />He even took part in a discussion with former Indian batsman Chopra, who is now retired and regularly appears on cricket chat shows for expert comments.<br /><br />Abbasi, furious about the fraudster's deceit, has decried the BBC for failing to check its facts.<br /><br />"If I ever find Nadeem Alam, I will punch him in the face for damaging the country's reputation. The BBC is a big institution and surely they must check?" he told the Sun newspaper.<br /><br />Abbasi, a wicket-keeper batsman, played in three Tests for Pakistan in 1989.<br />The 46-year-old, who now coaches a team in Rawalpindi, said that his only media appearance was on Pakistani television during the World Cup in 1996.<br /><br />Abbasi's Wikipedia page was also tricked by Alam's actions, with part of his biography reading: "Abbasi is now a freelance journalist and appears regularly on the BBC Asian Network and Radio Five Live."<br /><br />Alam, however, told the daily that he is "no longer pretending to be Nadeem Abbasi".<br />"I like to think I have been talking good cricket," he said.<br /><br />The BBC has apologised and launched an inquiry.<br /><br />"We apologise to the real Mr Abbasi and we will be looking seriously into what has happened," a BBC spokesman said.</p>
<p>An imposter posing as a former Pakistani cricketer has duped the BBC into paying him to appear as an expert on cricket shows and even took part in a discussion involving ex-Indian batsman Aakash Chopra.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Nadeem Alam posed as ex-batsman Nadeem Abbasi to give his "expert" opinion on BBC World News, BBC Asian Network and Radio Five Live, despite only ever playing cricket for his home town of Huddersfield.<br /><br />He even took part in a discussion with former Indian batsman Chopra, who is now retired and regularly appears on cricket chat shows for expert comments.<br /><br />Abbasi, furious about the fraudster's deceit, has decried the BBC for failing to check its facts.<br /><br />"If I ever find Nadeem Alam, I will punch him in the face for damaging the country's reputation. The BBC is a big institution and surely they must check?" he told the Sun newspaper.<br /><br />Abbasi, a wicket-keeper batsman, played in three Tests for Pakistan in 1989.<br />The 46-year-old, who now coaches a team in Rawalpindi, said that his only media appearance was on Pakistani television during the World Cup in 1996.<br /><br />Abbasi's Wikipedia page was also tricked by Alam's actions, with part of his biography reading: "Abbasi is now a freelance journalist and appears regularly on the BBC Asian Network and Radio Five Live."<br /><br />Alam, however, told the daily that he is "no longer pretending to be Nadeem Abbasi".<br />"I like to think I have been talking good cricket," he said.<br /><br />The BBC has apologised and launched an inquiry.<br /><br />"We apologise to the real Mr Abbasi and we will be looking seriously into what has happened," a BBC spokesman said.</p>