The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should have promptly suspended the tainted players-Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer - after they were allegedly accused of spot fixing during the Lord's Test against England, said former International Cricket Council president Ehsan Mani.

"The PCB was stubborn after the spot-fixing and betting allegations came to surface and was adamant the players would play the one-day series even after they were named as suspects. The ICC could not tolerate this and suspended them," the Daily Times quoted Mani, as saying.

"It is unfortunate that the PCB did not realize the graveness of the situation when the allegations first came out. The PCB itself should have first suspended the players but they did not. The ICC had no choice but to step in," Mani told Radio Deutsche Welle (Voice of Germany) in an interview.

"To keep the inquiry within its ambit and save itself from further embarrassment the PCB should have suspended the players and taken up its own investigation. Now because of its unprofessional and careless attitude the spot-fixing scandal is out of its control and neither does it have any control over players it pays handsomely," he added.

Mani pointed out that the PCB knew the ICC had the authority to suspend the players and also noted that the world body had got directly involved because of the poor track record of the PCB in disciplining and penalising its cricketers.

The former ICC chief said he feared that the careers of the three suspended players could end prematurely.

He said the ICC had been asking and reminding its member boards constantly to keep a watch on their players and to educate them on how to avoid corruption in the game. (ANI)