Former Pakistan cricket captain Salim Malik and all-rounder Ataur-Rehman were banned for life by their country's cricket board yesterday. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) acted after the long-awaited publication of the inquiry into match-fixing allegations. The report by investigating judge Malik Mohammad Qayyum said "there was no planned betting and matchfixing by the team as such", but "doubts of varying intensity have been cast on the integrity of some members of the team in their individual capacity".

The document, which recommended action against Malik and seven other players, was the climax of two years of investigations into allegations first made by Australian Test players Mark Waugh and Shane Warne on their tour of Pakistan in 1994-95.

PCB chairman Tauqir Zia, who released the report, told a news conference that all the recommendations in the report would be immediately implemented.

But he said the players could go to any court to challenge the findings and sanctions. "All these recommendations will be implemented," he said. Asked when, he replied: "Forthwith."

The PCB banned Malik for life and recommended that other "suitable action, whether in the form of criminal proceedings or otherwise", be taken against him. It also fined him one million Pakistan rupees ($18,000).

Former captain Wasim Akram, and players Mushtaq Ahmed, Ataur-Rehman, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Akram Raza and Saeed Anwar were all censured and fined either for bringing the game into disrepute or failing to co-operate with the inquiry.

Judge Qayyum conducted the inquiry from September 1998 to October 1999.