KARACHI. Aug 7 Former Pakistani captain Salim Malik has pleaded with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to withdraw a lifetime ban imposed by a match-fixing inquiry. reports AFP.

Malik made the plea in a letter to the board, a copy of which was made available to AFP on Monday.

The letter challenges the recommendations of Judge Malik Mohammad Qayyum who conducted the Inquiry between September 1998 and October 1999.

Malik and pacer Ataur Rehman were banned for life while six other players. Including Wasim Akram, were fined in the recommendations which were implemented by (he PCB in May last.

"There were four specific allegations of match fixing against me and I have been found not guilty in two of them. In (he third allegation a person could not be testified." Malik wrote in the letter.

"In the fourth allegation I have been found guilty not of match-fixing but attempting to fix the first Test match at Karachi In September 1994 against Australia." he said.

Australian Shane Warne alleged Malik offered him bribe to bowl below his best on the last day of the Karachi Test in 1994. Warne had said he passed the offer to spin partner Tim May.

"I was not trying to make Pakistan lose but 1 tried to ensure Pakistan's victory. If I ever made that offer." Malik said.

Pakistan won the Test by a narrow margin of one wicket, scoring 59 on the last wicket.

"The Inquiry Commission was convinced that a match can only be fixed by five or four

players working together it cannot be fixed oy an individual or by Iwo players." Malik argues.

Batsman Mark Waugh also alleged Malik offered him a bribe to perform below his best bi a one-day International in Rawalpindi on that same tour of 1994.

"The Inquiry Commission should not have believed Warne

and Waugh’s testimony because of the admitted position that they themselves are self-confessed habitual gamblers." Malik said.

Warne and Waugh confessed they took money from an Indian bookie for providing pitch and weather information In Sri Lanka In 1994.

Australian Cricket Board (ACB) fined the duo but the news was only broken four years later.

"The commission should not have believed Warne's testimony because it Is the case of his words against mine and his word Is that of a self-confessed gambler who has admittedly taken bribe/present from a bookie.” Malik said.

"Warne nurses a grudge against me viz that I am the only batsman in the world lie has not been able to get out," Malik said.

"Warne's false allegation could not be corroborated as when the commission went to Australia the Australian Cricket Board failed to produce May." Malik said

Malik demanded protection against discrimination and respect of his fundamental rights under the constitution.

"I am not to be denied equal treatment and to be discriminated against simply because 1 am no longer good enough to be the member of the Pakistan team." said Malik, who has played 103 Tests and 283 one-da yers.