The Pakistan police has filed a criminal case against cricketer Wasim Akram after a complaint from his former friend, Saadat Hayat.

Hayat had alleged that the cricketer had taken a jeep from him on the pretext of buying it and not made the payment, Inspector Hanif Qadri told Reuters.

Akram's wife Huma denied the allegation and said the jeep was given as a gift.

"There is no cheating involved," she said by telephone from Lahore. "This happened three years ago. We wanted to return the vehicle a long time ago, but he refused to take it back and instead demanded an exorbitant sum against it."

Akram is in England playing for Hampshire after being dropped from the national team.

The vehicle is now in the possession of the police, Huma said.

The police said the case was registered under section 406, which deals with misappropriation and breach of trust. Anyone found guilty under this law can face up to three years in prison.