Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria was given a life ban from English cricket on Friday for his involvement in the Mervyn Westfield spot-fixing case, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said.
Westfield was given a five-year ban, although he will be able to play club cricket in the final two years of his suspension.
Kaneria has been found guilty of two corruption charges of encouraging former Essex teammate Mervyn Westfield not to play to the best of his ability.
Paceman Westfield was sentenced to four months in prison in February for spot-fixing offences in 2009.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) disciplinary committee said Kaneria’s evidence “did not stand up to scrutiny and he plainly lies.”
According to The BBC, the ECB was “in no reasonable doubt” that Kaneria, 31, influenced Westfield.
“The charges relate to a CB40 match between Essex and Durham in 2009, when Westfield received £6,000 in exchange for conceding 12 runs in his first over. Westfield, who has since been released from prison, pleaded guilty to one charge.
The ECB disciplinary panel concluded that “Kaneria acted as a recruiter of spot-fixers, approached a number of what he saw as potential targets at Essex, cajoled and pressurised Westfield into becoming involved, knowing well that he was young and vulnerable, was present when Westfield received his payment for under-performing.”
During Westfield’s trial, Kaneria, who played for Essex between 2004 and 2010, was named as the go-between in the betting scandal. But Kaneria, who played 61 Tests and 18 one-dayers between 2000 and 2010, was never charged by the police on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
“Both players were charged by the ECB in April for “alleged breaches of the ECB’s anti-corruption directives”.
Keywords: Danish Kaneria, Essex county, spot-fixing scandal, ECB
