Pakistan high commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan has suggested the three players at the centre of spot-betting allegations may have been set up.
Hasan has spoken out following Test captain Salman Butt and seamers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir's decision to pull out of rest of the tour of England.
The trio have been in the spotlight since the News of the World published an article on Sunday in which it claimed Asif and Amir deliberately bowled no-balls during the fourth Test at Lord's.
Asked whether he thought the trio had been framed, Hasan replied: "Yes".
Speaking earlier in the day, Pakistan's top diplomat in London also claimed the players should be treated as innocent until proven guilty.
Butt, Asif and Amir all held talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board and national officials on Thursday at which it is reported they again declared their innocence.
Mr Hasan told reporters: "The three players have said that they are extremely disturbed by what has happened in the past week, especially in regard of their alleged involvement in the crime.
"They mentioned that they are entirely innocent in the whole episode and shall defend their innocence as such.
"They maintain that on account of the mental torture which has deeply affected them, they are not in the right frame of mind to play the remaining matches.
"Therefore, they have requested that the Pakistan Cricket Board not consider them for the remaining matches."
ECB chairman Giles Clarke had earlier welcomed the decision of the PCB to omit the three players from the upcoming T20 and one-day international fixtures.
He said in a statement: "The England and Wales Cricket Board welcomes the announcement of the Pakistan Cricket Board's squad for the NatWest T20 and NatWest ODI series.
"We look forward to an extremely competitive series full of excellent cricket and we can assure cricket fans across the country that the matches will be played in the most competitive spirit, long associated with contests between England and Pakistan."