WASIM Akram woke up today in Bangalore as Pakistan's public enemy number one.

The Lancashire ace has turned from national hero to hated villain in the eyes of millions of Pakistanis after his non-appearance in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final defeat against deadly rivals India.

Effigies of Wasim were burned in the streets here in Lahore last night by mobs of youngsters demanding public floggings and even the death penalty for the Pakistan team.

And mass protests were planned for their arrival back in Pakistan at Lahore airport tonight.

Wasim pulled out of the India game with a leg injury picked up during the group stages. But politicians have demanded that a full investigation is launched into the background to the defeat in the light of recent corruption scandals - only yesterday former Test batsman Qasim Omar alleged that more than 15 players had taken his bribes.

Pakistan's loss to India was debated in both the National Senate and the Punjab Assembly yesterday.

The Senate mourned it as a sad day for the nation and demanded that the players be made accountable. And a member of the Assembly brandished a picture of Wasim dancing in a Bangalore disco and said: "We incurred the wrath of God." The tournament organisers, the state-owned PTV and the Government are also under fire for the way they have promoted the competition with dancing girls and razzmatazz. The political opposition in the Senate yesterday slammed "the World Cup for obscenity" and the national TV chief was given a police guard.

Meanwhile Asif Ali Zardir, husband of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who had offered each player five million rupees if they retained the Cup, resigned from the organising committee while Butto made a statement regretting Pakistan's defeat.

For Wasim the loss has raised huge questions over his future as Pakistan captain.

Even though the side badly missed his leadership on Saturday, the calls for him to be sacked are deafening and the Pakistani Cricket Authority are not renowned for their loyalty under fire.

Defeat on Saturday was a bitter blow for Wasim, who was desperate and quietly confident of emulating his hero and mentor Imran Khan by lifting the trophy.

His dream was also to toss up with Lancashire team mate Mike Atherton before a Pakistani-England final. Now both men are fighting for their captaincy futures before Pakistan's Test series in England this summer.

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