KARACHI: Under the cloud of spot-fixing controversy, Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has vowed to do everything in his control to get his name cleared in the scandal, which has led to the jail sentence of county bowler Mervyn Westfield.
Former Essex fast bowler Westfield was handed over a jail sentence of four months by a London court on Friday, after he admitted receiving £6,000 ($9,200) to bowl badly so that 12 runs could be scored in the first over of a 40-over match between Durham and Essex in September 2009.
Westfield’s lawyer told the court that his Essex teammate Kaneria told him that a friend would pay him to cheat.
“I don’t want to say much now on this issue. But it is an incorrect terminology that I have been implicated by the court. In fact, the Essex police cleared me in this case after proper investigations,” said Kaneria.
“I have told my lawyer in London to get the full judgment of the trial and pursue this matter. I will not rest until I am cleared to play for Pakistan again,” he added.
The leg-spinner’s brother Vicky said that they would be approaching the integrity committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to clear Kaneria’s name.
He also said that because of the trial and legal process in United Kingdom, they were unable to submit some documents and tapes to the integrity committee, which could prove Kaneria’s innocence.
Kaneria, who played 61 Tests and 18 one-dayers for Pakistan between 2000 and 2010, was arrested in connection to spot-fixing case in 2010 but later released without being charge.
But the PCB has not considered him for national selection since August 2010 because of the scandal. (Agencies)