Malik has always maintained his innocence of any wrongdoing

Former Pakistan captain Salim Malik has had his life ban from the game lifted by a court in Lahore, Pakistan.

Malik was banned in 2000 after a match-fixing investigation carried out by Mr Justice Qayyum.

Among the allegations against him were that he tried to bribe Australians Shane Warne, Mark Waugh and Tim May to under-perform during a 1994 series.

"Today I feel vindicated," said the 45-year-old, who now hopes to start his own cricket academy.

"I am overjoyed that finally this stigma of match-fixing is gone.

"I am relieved to be exonerated of these charges, but I have suffered a lot of trauma and loss of reputation in these last seven, eight years."

Malik played 103 Tests and 283 one-day internationals for Pakistan and was a member of the side which won the World Cup under Imran Khan's captaincy in 1992 after beating England in the final.

He made a century in his debut Test, when aged only 18, and batted with a style which once prompted former England skipper David Gower to describe him as "wearing velvet gloves".

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Malik went on to captain Pakistan from 1993 to 1995 but was one of eight players investigated by Qayyum, whose inquiry was initiated by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

It was one of a number of investigations set up around the world following former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje's confession that he had received money from bookmakers.

Cronje, who later died in a plane crash, also received a life ban, as did Malik, former Pakistan pace bowler Ata-ur-Rehman, and Indians Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Sharma.

Rehman's ban was lifted two years ago by the International Cricket Council, the game's world governing body.

Malik had also maintained his innocence of any wrongdoing and in May received a boost when Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered the civil court in Lahore, his home city, to re-open the case.

Shane Warne (right) was among Malik's accusers

Explaining the verdict, Malik's lawyer Shahid Karim said: "It was decided the imposition of [financial] penalty and life ban were beyond the powers of PCB and had no legal basis."

The PCB's legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi said they accepted the decision and would not be lodging an appeal.

"PCB did not impose the ban - we just implemented the recommendations of the inquiry tribunal," he added.

Malik has received an offer from former India captain Kapil Dev to resume his playing career in the Indian Cricket League.

But he said: "I don't think I can play competitive cricket after staying out of it for the last eight or nine years."

He has also had two recent meetings with Ijaz Butt, the newly elected chairman of the PCB and added: "If I am given an opportunity to serve Pakistan cricket in any capacity, I am more than willing to do that."

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