Mohammad Akram today launched a passionate self-defence after he was reported to Lord's for the second time in less than a month.

The 30-year-old fast bowler had to be withdrawn from the attack during Friday's Championship match against Lancashire for bowling beamers at Gary Keedy and Carl Hooper.

Akram, who joined the county only this season, had already collected a three-point penalty under the ECB's disciplinary code after umpires Peter Willey and Barrie Leadbeater reported him for ball-tampering during last month's Championship game with Warwickshire.

But Akram strenuously denies wrong-doing on both counts and captain Chris Adams is right behind him.

Akram admitted he had consulted his lawyers in a bid to clear his name after the ball-tampering incident and insists he was not trying to bowl beamers at Old Trafford last week.

He also claims Pakistani fast bowlers are victimised in county cricket and revealed he tells colleagues at team meetings that he wants nothing to do with altering the condition of the ball because he knows he will be in the spotlight.

Ironically, last week's incident marred a superb bowling performance by Akram, who took the first three first-innings wickets and followed it with two more in the second before umpire Vanburn Holder called him for bowling a second beamer at Hooper halfway through his 16th over, minutes after another had left Keedy requiring treatment when he was struck on the hand.

Low windows directly above the sight-screen at one end of Old Trafford had caused problems for batsmen on both sides and Akram claims he told Hooper what he was trying to bowl earlier in his spell.

He said: "I got Mal Loye out in the first innings with a low full toss and he didn't know where the ball had gone.

"They were very difficult for the batsmen to pick up because of the windows just above the screen and I was very disappointed to be warned by the umpire, especially for the second one.

"I had said to Carl during the previous over that I was trying to bowl a yorker or low full toss. The one that hit Keedy was below waist height and I was disappointed to be warned for that.

"I watched a video of my bowling spell afterwards and I spoke to Mr Holder and wanted to show him the video as well.

"It's not my fault if he (Keedy) didn't pick the ball. I said sorry to him and I spoke to Chris Adams and (director of cricket) Peter Moores afterwards and they told me not to worry about it."

Akram is not the first player to be warned for bowling beamers and he will not be the last.

He is more disappointed about the accusation that he deliberately scratched the surface of the ball during the Horsham festival less than four weeks ago.

"Even when I played for Pakistan I didn't do that and I don't do it now," he insisted.

"I say the same in our team meetings. I tell them not to scratch the ball because it will get rough on the surface of the ground anyway, but I won't do it because I know I will be in the spotlight anyway.

"I did speak to my lawyer when I got the disciplinary penalty because I wanted to clear my name and also to Peter Moores, but they said there was no point.

"But I do feel that there are certain people in cricket who are after us (Pakistanis). We say that every time we come over to play in England, that people are after us."

The latest incident involving Akram did not stop Sussex celebrating their first success since winning the Championship. Victory took them off the bottom of the first division and up into sixth place.

Adams bristles at suggestions that Akram's indiscrestions might have repercussions for the rest of the team.

"It was a great win and Akram played a big part in it," said Adams.

"He has been superb for us. He ripped the heart out of their batting in the first innings.

"What happened on Friday was the right decision by the umpires, but I know what Akkie was trying to do. We all struggled batting at the end he bowled from and unfortunately when you bowl at his pace there is so little margin for error.

"You have to put faith in the umpires to make the correct decisions and it was the right one, even though we all agreed there was no intent.

"But I'd be devastated if there was some sort of a witch-hunt against Sussex because we've got one lad who was warned off for bowling waist-high full tosses."