An interim report by the Pakistan cricket board committee, made available to AFP at the Commonwealth Games, said the three should not play in Tests until further investigations are finished.

But it added that betting on matches was widespread and called for an intensive new inquiry.

The report by the three-member committee, headed by Justice Chudhary Ejaz Yousuf, said Akram, Malik and Ijaz should be kept away from the Pakistan team `to save youngsters and new entrants in the game from being affected further and spoiled by the soiling atmosphere'.

`However, the final decision against them and all others concerned may be deferred to the finalisation of inquiry and findings'.

The report, based on interviews with current and former players and a journalist, spelled out the involvement of players in betting and match fixing -- a charge first levelled by Australian players against Malik in 1994.

Former Test fast bowler Ata-ur-Rehman gives a graphic account of how a one day international in Christchurch was fixed during Pakistan's tour of New Zealand in 1994 when Malik was the captain.

Meanwhile, Pakistani cricket officials at the Commonwealth Games today denied they had released a report on an inquiry into allegations of match-fixing four years ago by some of their top test players.

Pakistan team manager Syed Naushad Ali said the inquiry into the case was still going on in Pakistan.

``Not at all. Nothing has been released here. For me, there is nothing from Pakistan, nothing from here,'' Ali told Reuters. ``There was an inquiry going on when we left Pakistan. The inquiry result wasn't out when we left.''

``This report about a result of the inquiry sounds mischievous,'' another Pakistani official said. ``There were also these reports last week in our own press but there has been no result of the investigation announced.''