Karachi, March 16 - Pakistan cricket was once again rocked by reports that match-fixing is one of the major reasons for the national team's poor performance in the recent past.

The Senate's sports committee probing into the national cricket affairs claims to have found disturbing evidence that more than one Pakistani cricketer is involved in match-fixing.

Abddul Ghaffar Qureshi, chairman of the Senate's Standing Committee on Sports, said that "more than one player of the current national team was involved in match-fixing". He added that the Senate committee will pursue this issue and will push for "criminal proceedings" against the culprits.

"It is a matter of grave importance and we believe that the PCB should do more to punish players who are bringing shame to our country. We would not only recommend life bans against them but would push for criminal proceedings against match-fixers," The News Tuesday quoted Qureshi as saying.

Qureshi and fellow Senators met with top PCB officials including Ijaz Butt - the Board chairman - in Lahore Monday to question them over Pakistan's poor showing in Australia.

Senator Haroon Akhtar, who was part of the meeting, later declared that there is a strong mafia of match-fixers within the team and the players involved protect each others interests.

"From whatever we have heard and seen during the meeting, it was quite obvious that monetary benefits were involved," he said.

When asked whether the senators were given any concrete proof, Akhtar said that the evidence was circumstantial yet convincing. "You can't catch them (players) taking bags full of money," he said.

"But from what we have gathered from the three-hour meeting, it seems that the PCB is holding back a lot more things than what they've showed us."

Haroon said the PCB seems willing to dismantle a match-fixing mafia which he believes exists within the team. "The players involved in match-fixing form groups and protect each other. There is a mafia within the team. It's a mess but the Board is ready to take strong action."

Haroon, however, also took a swipe at the PCB top brass, saying that it was evident that their weaknesses allowed such crimes to go unnoticed. "It seems that match-fixing has been going on for at least the last two years," he said. "When the management is weak, such things will happen," he added.

When asked to name the match-fixing suspects, Haroon said it was up to the Board to single them out. "But I think that they are trying to cover it up because of certain pressures," he said referring to the fact that Pakistan are to defend their ICC World Twenty20 title in the West Indies from April 30.

"The Board is not in an enviable position," he said, adding: "I am sure you will see some tough action after the Twenty20 World Cup."

He also said the PCB wants to delay action at least till the assignment in the Caribbean.

But he warned that it could be a bad move. "It is just the tip of the iceberg," said Haroon regarding suspicion that more than one national cricketer is involved in match-fixing. "Things, I fear, could be much worse." (IANS)