Punish guilty player to save Pak cricket: Imran Khan

"Why should Pakistan cricket suffer if some players have indulged in a crime? Why should Pakistani supporters suffer because of that?", he told Britain's ITV television from Islamabad.

"The people who are found guilty should be removed from the team and replaced and should be punished as an example for future generation to realise that crime does not pay."

The 57-year-old said he was "shocked" at the allegations.

The latest claims are a further blow to cricket in Pakistan, already at a low ebb with home matches ruled out due to terrorism fears.

The team has also been dogged by 'fixing' allegations since the 1990s and embroiled in ball-tampering.

"It's a very depressing day for Pakistan cricket but I still want to wait until the whole story unfolds until we know whether the allegations are correct," he said.

"If they are proved, not just in terms of the best players in the team being implicated but from the public point of view, they would not understand the finer points of the game and each time they lose they will think it's a fixed match.

"So, it has long-term repercussions for Pakistani cricket provided the allegations are true."

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