BBC left red faced after impostor appears as regular pundit

KARACHI: An impostor claiming to be former Pakistan cricketer Nadeem Abbasi has been giving ‘expert’ opinions to the BBC on the team’s displays.
Nadeem Alam, 46, has appeared on the corporation’s World Service, Asian Network and Radio Five Live as a pundit.He has been paid for the appearances, despite only ever playing for his hometown team of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire. Unsurprisingly annoyed, Abbasi, who played three Test matches for Pakistan, has said he will ‘punch Alam in the face’ should the pair ever meet.
“If I find Nadeem Alam I will punch him in the face for damaging the country’s reputation,” Abbasi, 46, told The Sun. “My only media work was with Pakistan Television during the 1996 World Cup. The BBC is a big institution and surely they must check?”
Alam, who has admitted blagging free sports gear by posing as a squash player, defended his knowledge of the sport, but says he will no longer continue to pretend to be Abbasi. “I like to think I have been talking good cricket. But I am no longer pretending to be Nadeem Abbasi.”
Abbasi’s Wikipedia page has also been 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.” The BBC apologised and launched an inquiry.