Leicestershire County Cricket Club has contacted the Crown Prosecution Service after a man was spared jail following a claim that he had been offered a job with them.

Mustafa Bashir, 34, was given a suspended sentence at Manchester Crown Court last week for assaulting wife Fakhara Karim.

Judge Richard Mansell QC has been criticised by domestic abuse campaigners after he reportedly said Miss Karim was not vulnerable because she was intelligent.

According to reports, the court was told that if Bashir was spared custody he would be employed as a professional player by Leicestershire County Cricket Club.

But the claims were denied by the club.

A statement published on the club's website on Wednesday said: "After Monday's widely reported claim by Mustafa Bashir in his plea of mitigation following his conviction of actual bodily harm against his wife, that he had been offered a playing contract by Leicestershire County Cricket Club, the club have taken immediate steps to bring to the attention of the authorities that Bashir's claim was wholly false.

"The club's legal advisers emailed a letter to Bashir's legal team reiterating that the club had never spoken or had any contact with Bashir or offered him a job.

"They also contacted the CPS to arrange for the club's chief executive, Wasim Khan, to give a statement to the same effect.

"This has now been given to Manchester Police and they and the CPS will now be taking this matter forward."

Leicestershire CCC chief executive Wasim Khan said: "Leicestershire CCC are appalled that Bashir could have invented a job offer from the club in order, it would seem, to evade a prison sentence.

"The club are actively involved in the fight against domestic abuse and had already arranged a 'Bowling Out Domestic Violence' cricket match in September in support of the White Ribbon Campaign, set up to tackle domestic violence.

"So Bashir's claim was deeply disturbing for the club and we will continue to do what we can to support the authorities bring about justice."

On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the CPS said: "We are aware of recent developments relating to this case and are currently considering our options."

Bashir was said to have beaten his wife with a cricket bat and forced her to drink bleach.

Sentencing, Judge Mansell QC reportedly said he was not convinced Miss Karim was a vulnerable person as she was "plainly intelligent", having graduated from university with a 2:1, and had a network of friends.