After 6 years of denial, Kaneria confesses that he was a spot-fixer

London, October 18

Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has admitted his role in a spot-fixing case involving former Essex teammate Mervyn Westfield on Thursday, more than six years after he was banned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Westfield was jailed for four months after pleading guilty to accepting a payment to concede a set number of runs off an over in a 40-overs English county match against Durham in 2009. Kaneria, who had repeatedly denied any involvement in trying to engineer particular situations in a game, was banned for life by the ECB in June 2012 for “cajoling and pressurising” Westfield into accepting money.

“My name is Danish Kaneria and I admit that I was guilty of the two charges brought against me by the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2012,” the 37-year-old said. “I have become strong enough to make this decision, because you cannot live a life with lies,” he added. “I want to apologise to Mervyn Westfield, my Essex teammates, my Essex cricket club, my Essex cricket fans. I say sorry to Pakistan,” Kaneria added.

“If the ECB and ICC and other bodies would give me a second chance I can help to educate young people in cricket, teach them that if you do wrong you are finished like me,” he added. 

Reflecting on his denial of the act, Kaneria said the ill-health of his father around the time of the spot-fixing scandal had stopped him from admitting it. “His health was getting worse and worse,” added Kaneria. “I didn't have the courage to face him and tell him that I had done wrong. He was so proud of me and it would have caused him a lot of suffering,” he added. — Reuters