The Pakistan cricket team's media manager said some players' fixation on religious activities resulted in their dismal performance in the World Cup, reports said Saturday.

P.J. Mir made the observation to reporters after submitting his statement to the evaluation committee of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in Lahore, who are reviewing the team's performance in the Caribbean.

"I could not disclose the fact before, but today I informed the media that most of the members had no focus on cricket. Their fixation was on preaching, affecting the team's preparation," the English daily Dawn quoted him as telling reporters after the Friday hearing.

Mir said some members of team had "no drive for the game and were much more active in preaching and praying."

"I have video footage which will prove me right and I will handover those tapes to the Pakistan Cricket Board," he said.

"It was beyond the limit, this religious influence, and the players were even made to offer prayers during the flights," he said without naming who had forced the team members to pray.

The newspaper said Mir's bold statement was seen as an attempt to check the growing religious extremism within cricket in Pakistan amid reports that the PCB had devised a plan to rid the team of extremism.

The world number three side were dumped out of the World Cup by minnows Ireland on March 18. A day later their coach Bob Woolmer's strangled body was found in his room on the 12th floor of the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)