London: Spinner Danish Kaneria was on Friday named in court as being involved in a spot-fixing scam, dealing yet another blow to Pakistan’s cricketing image already mired by the sensational jail terms to former captain Salman Butt and two of his teammates for corruption last year.
Prosecutors in the case of former Essex bowler Mervyn Westfield, who has pleaded guilty to spot-fixing and faces sentencing, said the player had been lured into fixing after an approach by Kaneria. The court heard that Kaneria told Westfield he would be paid to concede a certain number of runs in a particular over during the matches.
Prosecutor Nigel Peters QC said the deal emerged after another Essex player, Tony Palladino, showed Westfield ‘the most money he had ever seen’.
Kaneria was arrested in connection with the case in 2010 but later released without charge.
Westfield admitted receiving £6,000 to bowl so that 12 runs would be scored in the first over of a 40-over match between Durham and Essex in September 2009, although in fact only 10 were scored.
Pakistan Cricket Board had not selected Kaneria in the national team ever since he was arrested in the case and had told the player that he would be considered for selection only after clearance from its Ethics Commission.
This case took place against the backdrop of Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer being jailed in Britain last year for their role in a separate spot-fixing scandal in a Test match against England. (PTI)