As if that was not enough, the International Cricket Council (ICC) — the game's governing body — also made it look as if the Pakistanis were really guilty even though British detectives are yet to reach any conclusion over the fixing allegations.

Pakistan had three of their key players suspended by the ICC earlier this month while several others are under suspicion for alleged 'spot-fixing'. It was hardly surprising when they flopped miserably in the two Twenty20 Internationals in Cardiff before going down in the first couple of One-day Internationals in Durham and Leeds.

The visitors appeared to be in disarray and just too weak for a rampaging England team.

But then came a twist at The Oval.

Pakistan beat England there and then achieved an even more emphatic win at Lord's on Monday night to level the series 2-2.

Many had thought Pakistan would be under pressure because of the corruption allegations and a morale-shattering losing spree as some critics had even started predicting a 5-0 whitewash in favor of the hosts.

"What pressure? Asked Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi in an interview with Arab News on Tuesday after leading his team to a 38-run triumph against England at Lord's in their fourth One-day International.

"Why should we feel under pressure? We haven't done anything wrong. We are not guilty of any wrongdoing," he added referring to allegations of 'spot fixing' against his teammates.

In contrast, Afridi's England counterpart Andrew Strauss had said that he felt 'pretty deflated' after Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), alleged that England deliberately lost their third ODI against Pakistan at The Oval last week.

"I'm pretty deflated, really. It has been a long and arduous and difficult 24 hours and to lose a game of cricket at the back end of it, which we were in a good position to win, is very disappointing," Strauss said after his team's defeat at Lord's.

In a thinly veiled attack on the England team, Afridi said that it's the guilty who always feel the pressure if allegations are leveled against them.

"Only People who feel guilty take pressure," stressed Afridi, who believes that constant claims of corruption against his team are a part of a conspiracy to 'finish' Pakistan cricket.

"The way so many people are joining the bashing of Pakistan cricket shows that a conspiracy is on to finish our cricket," he said.

"But we won't allow it. As far as I and my team is concerned we will give our best on the field and play our role in saving Pakistan cricket from all such conspiracies." Afridi, 30, said that he and his team is fully ready to take on England in the series decider to be played on Wednesday at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. "The boys are feeling confident and motivated," said Afridi.

"Victories in the last two matches have really helped us. It has given the boys a lot of self-belief. They are now focused on the series decider because it's their last Test on a long and exhaustive tour with a lot of bad memories. We have to win tomorrow to end it positively and we will give our best to do that."