PCB maintains its position on Saleem, asks Kaneria to approach ECB for clearance

While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has stuck to its stance against banned ex-Pakistan captain Saleem Malik, it has advised former Test leg-spinner Danish Kaneria to approach the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to get himself cleared from the spot-fixing charges.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board was approached by Mr Danish Kaneria and Mr Saleem Malik on unrelated and separate matters. After carefully reviewing and studying both their requests, the PCB has responded to the two former cricketers," read the PCB press release issued on Friday.

Right-handed veteran batsman Saleem, who played 103 Tests and 283 ODIs for Pakistan, was handed a life ban by the one-man judicial commission of retired Justice Malik Qayyum, which the PCB also implemented, in a match-fixing probe in the year 2000.

The 39-year-old Kaneria, who played 61 Tests and 18 ODIs for Pakistan from 2000 to 2010, was slapped with a life ban by the ECB in 2012 for spot-fixing in a 2009 English county match featuring Essex which the spinner represented.

Addressing Saleem's request, the release said, "You chose not to respond to the contents of the transcripts of a conversation that took place in April 2000. In the backdrop of the above, the PCB will be unable to proceed any further until such time you respond on the said matter.

"The denial and avoidance to respond to the transcripts doesn't change the admission when, in a 5 May, 2014 letter to the then PCB chairman, you wrote: 'Sir, after consultations and on my free will, I have reached a decision that I am ready to accept my wrongdoing, apologise to the fans and want to start by rehabilitation process. I fully understand the consequence of my decision and am ready to cooperate to every extent with ICC and PCB for my rehabilitation program. I would request the PCB to talk to the ICC if required and start my rehabilitation program at the earliest'."