Kaneria’s admission of guilt six years late
DANISH KANERIA has finally admitted his guilt in the cricket corruption scandal that landed his Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield in jail.
In an interview with Al Jazeera’s investigative unit, the exPakistan spinner, who for six years had denied wrongdoing, apologises to Westfield, asks for forgiveness, and pleads for the life ban imposed on him by the ECB in 2012 to be lifted.
Kaneria adds: ‘I have become strong enough to make this decision because you cannot live a life with lies.’
Bowler Westfield spent two months in prison after pleading guilty to accepting £6,000 from an illegal bookmaker, Anu Bhatt, to concede 12 runs in his first over of a 40-over game against Durham in 2009. He conceded only ten but still took the cash. Last night, Westfield told
Sportsmail: ‘This whole chapter of spot-fixing changed my life, but I have never blamed anyone for the terrible mistake I made. However, opening up about my wrongdoing and telling the truth allowed me to move on.
‘I hope Danish finds peace and closure by doing this, and I wish him all the best for the future.’
Kaneria facilitated the scam by introducing Westfield to Bhatt but escaped criminal charges after prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence.
However, an ECB panel banned him for life after finding him guilty of inducing Westfield to underperform and of bringing the game into disrepute.
Gerard Elias QC, chairing the panel, described Kaneria as a ‘grave danger’ to cricket and said his evidence did ‘not stand up to scrutiny and is plainly lies’.
Kaneria — leading spin bowler in Pakistan’s Test history with 261 wickets — twice appealed unsuccessfully against the ban.
Now, though, he confesses: ‘I admit I was guilty of the two charges brought against me by the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2012. I want to apologise to Mervyn Westfield, my Essex team-mates, my Essex cricket club, my Essex cricket fans. I say sorry to Pakistan.’
Despite being warned by the ICC’s anti-corruption unit in 2008 that Bhatt was involved in illegal betting, Kaneria introduced Westfield, then aged 21, to the bookmaker.
Kaneria, now 37, was even named by the Old Bailey judge who convicted Westfield as the brains behind the spot-fix.
Kaneria now admits: ‘Mervyn used to tell me he wants to become a rich cricketer. I was highly paid in Essex and an international player. I was living a lavish life, so he also wanted to make money. I think he was targeted by Anu Bhatt and fell into that temptation.
‘I should have taken it one step higher of telling Mervyn this guy is suspicious. I regret very much I didn’t complain to the higher authorities.’
Kaneria last played for Pakistan in 2010 and hasn’t appeared in any first-class game since early 2012. Now he wants a way back into cricket.
‘I was the highest wicket-taker for Pakistan and making good money. I lost my friends, the respect which I used to get from the cricketing fans. I lost everything,’ he says.
‘I want to ask people’s forgiveness. Cricket has given me so much in my life and I want to give something back. If the ECB and ICC and other bodies would give me a second chance, I can help educate young people in cricket, teach them if you do wrong you are finished like me.’
Westfield was banned from professional cricket for five years, but has been playing for Frintonon-Sea in the East Anglian Premier League since 2014.
He went on to work with the Professional Cricketers’ Association, speaking to young players about the dangers of corruption. Now 30, he works as a scaffolder. Cricket’s Match-Fixers: The Munawar Files is on Al Jazeera English TV, Sunday 9pm, and at aljazeera.com/investigations from 11am.
ENGLAND opened up a 2-0 series lead over Sri Lanka as Eoin Morgan’s unbeaten 58 and a disciplined bowling display delivered victory in a rainshortened third one-day international. The match at Pallekele was cut to 21 overs per side but England won by seven wickets with 15 balls to spare.