COLOMBO: Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar says Pakistan's recent spot-fixing affair has been a painful one, but has made its players determined to do well at the World Cup.

Akhtar says "we are a hurt side" - but his teammates now want to "hurt other" teams by performing well.

An ICC tribunal banned former captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir for five years for bowling prearranged no-balls during the Lord's test against England last August. Butt and Asif were also given suspended sentences of five and two years respectively.

Akhtar says he could have formed a lethal pace combination with Amir and Asif had they not been banned, "but it's part of history."

He says Pakistan still has fast bowlers like Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz.