ICC denies clearing Kaneria of spot-fixing charges

Dubai: The ICC on Monday denied that it had cleared Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria to take part in competitive cricket after he was implicated in a spot-fixing case, in which his Essex county team-mate Mervyn Westfield has been jailed for four months.

"Following reports in the media in which Danish Kaneria claims to have been issued with a clearance certificate, the ICC, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) can categorically deny that such a clearance certificate was ever issued," the ICC said in a joint issued on behalf of its two member boards. "The PCB stated that, following the Mervyn Westfield judgment, Danish Kaneria will again be called to appear before the Integrity Committee to explain his position," it said. "The PCB also confirmed that the Kaneria clearance matter is pending before the Integrity Committee of the PCB where in the last meeting he was directed to provide copies of the tapes of his Essex police interview," the statement added. Kaneria and Westfield were arrested by Essex police in May 2010 on suspicion of spot-fixing during a county match against Durham in 2009. Though Kaneria was released and not charged, Westfield pleaded guilty to spot-fixing charges in January this year, and was sentenced by a London court last week. Kaneria, however, claimed that he was innocent and has been cleared by the ICC and ECB. PTI