In the congested Punjab provincial capital of Lahore, where a maze of narrow streets wind through tea stalls, stately mosques and ancient Moghul ruins fans watched with dread as their team's batting side collapsed.

Throughout Pakistan streets were deserted as people stayed inside to watch their team. Some people bought new television sets, organised home gatherings. In poor Pakistan where most people don't own a television set, people gathered in restaurants, shops and tea stalls to watch the match.

``These players are criminals,'' said Hymayun Ahmed a student at Punjab University. Ahmed watched the World Cup final with dozens ofstudents, who were huddled around a single television set in an outdoor restaurant.

Several fans had gathered with drums and fire crackers ready to celebrate a victory. When their team lost they wallowed in their defeat accusing the players of throwing the match.

Several Pakistani players, including Akram have been plagued by allegations of betting and game fixing, charges they flatly deny.

But on today as the World Cup final wound to a humiliating end for Pakistan fans resurrected charges of game fixing.

Amina Begum, a 62 year old grandmother, condemned the team accusing them of taking bribes.

``We should go to the airport and greet them with eggs and tomatoes,'' she said. She ripped her coloUrful bangles from her arm and said ``I will give them my bangles. They are not men, they played like women.''

What they said about the loss

The match was decided on the spin of coin. It was a bad decision to bat. The match was being played on a newly-laid track, the weather was overcast and if theskipper says bowling is our strength then he should have been wise to give his bowlers a chance to exploit the early conditions -- Former Pakistan captain and manager Intikhab Alam.

We won in 1992 because Imran (Khan) and Javed (Miandad) took all the pressure on them. There are no players of that class now -- Former Pakistan fast bowler Aqib Javed.

I felt like I was cut in half watching Pakistan bat like amateurs. They are far better than what they showed. Probably, the big match pressure took a toll on them -- Former Pakistan batsman Mansoor Akhtar.

Unbelievable, pathetic and awful -- former off-spinner Tauseef Ahmed