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Pakistan's cricketer turned politician Imran Khan said that Sri Lanka employed the wrong tactics to defend the World Cup in England in May this year.

``Sri Lanka adopted the same tactics which worked for them in the 1996 World Cup which meant that they went with all guns blazing from the start,'' said Imran addressing a press conference at the Hotel Lanka Oberoi yesterday.

``In English conditions where there was a lot of movement of the ball and I thought the reverse should have happened. Sri Lanka should have actually played like a Test match in the beginning and then accelerated towards the end.

``They were also short of a quality bowler. In those conditions they just did not have a penetrative seam bowler. It would have given a better balance to the team. By not having early success they got themselves into a situation where they could not get out,'' said Imran.

Sri Lanka won only two of the five qualifying round matches and were eliminated after the first round which led to Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva losing their status of captian and vice-captain respectively.

Imran had high regard for deposed captain Ranatunga.

``He was a good captain, the best Sri Lanka had. He was a fighter and a sensible captain who took pressure very well. The whole thing about captaincy is, apart from tactics you got to have strong nerves. When the pressure falls on the team, the team looks to the captain. I thought Arjuna handled pressure very well,'' said Imran.

``I haven't watched Arjuna enough to say how good his playing capabilities are still. I don't know what happens off the field and I don't want to comment on other aspects except how he handles the team on the field,'' he said.

When questioned about Ranatunga's successor Sanath Jayasuriya, Imran said: ``If his captaincy is anything like his batting, he should do well''.

Imran said the greatest disservice the Pakistan Cricket Board has done to Pakistan cricket is, not holding a proper and conclusive inquiry into match fixing allegations.

``If they had done a proper inquiry when the first allegation took place during the Singer Cup tournament in Sri Lanka some five years ago, one way or the other it would have either exonerated the players or punished those guilty. Because nothing conclusive has been done, each time the team loses the allegations keep on erupting.

``After 1992 we had the most talented team in the world. This match fixing allegations has actually been the main reason why Pakistan has not performed to their potential,'' said Imran.

He waved aside accusations of match-fixing during the World Cup final against Australia at Lord's last month dismissing it as ``utter nonsense'' and said: ``Pakistan lost because they couldn't take the pressure''.

``The World Cup is a unique competition. There is tremendous pressure in the World Cup because it comes once in four years and the whole world is focussed on cricket. There is great tension and a test of nerves and the Pakistan team in the final did not have the mental strength to handle pressure,'' said Imran.

The former Pakistan captain who retired on a high note after winning the World Cup for his country in 1992, is on a three-day visit to Sri Lanka with his wife Jemima on the invitation of the Rotary Club of Colombo East.

Imran will take part in the club's installation ceremony at Hotel Lanka Oberoi today and visit the cancer hospital Maharagama tomorrow where he will make a donation of medical equipment. He is also due to meet high ranking government ministers during his short stay.