Kaneria implicated in English spot-fixing case

Pakistan international spinner Danish Kaneria was named in court on Friday as being involved in a spot-fixing scam that led to the trial of a former English county cricketer.

London: Pakistan international spinner Danish Kaneria was named in court today as being involved in a spot-fixing scam that led to the trial of a former English county cricketer.

Prosecutors in the case of former Essex bowler Mervyn Westfield, who has pleaded guilty to spot-fixing and faces sentencing on Friday, said the player had been lured into the fix after an approach by Kaneria. The Old Bailey heard that Kaneria told Westfield he would be paid to concede a certain number of runs in a particular over. Prosecutor Nigel Peters QC said the deal emerged after another Essex player, Tony Palladino, showed Westfield "the most money he had ever seen". Kaneria was arrested in connection with the case in 2010 but later released without charge. Westfield admitted to receiving, 6,000 ($9,200) to bowl so that 12 runs would be scored in the first over of a 40-over match between Durham and Essex in September 2009, although in fact only 10 were scored. This case took place against the backdrop of Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer being jailed in Britain last year for their role in a separate spot-fixing scandal in a Test match against England. PTI