Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has finally accepted his involvement in the 2009 spot-fixing scandal during the English County season. He wants to apologise from everyone and also wants to ask for forgiveness.
Essex right-arm pacer Mervyn Westfield involved in a spot-fixing during a NatWest Pro40 match against Durham in September 2009. He accepted GBP 6000 in the exchange of conceding 12 runs in his first over of that game. The Pakistan leg-spinner Kaneria was charged for playing a central role to introduce Westfield to a bookmaker Anu Bhatt.
Since the early days of that allegation, Kaneria continuously denied his involvement but observing the evidence, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) imposed a lifetime ban for him.
Recently, Kaneria accepted his involvement in that spot-fixing scandal. Further, he wants to apologise to Westfield, entire Essex family and Pakistan.
Kaneria confessed in the recent Al Jazeera interview, “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.
“I want to apologise to Mervyn Westfield, my Essex team-mates, my Essex cricket club, my Essex cricket fans. I say sorry to Pakistan.”
Making his international cricket debut in November 2000 at the age of 19 years, Kaneria made his international debut. He played 61 Tests and 18 ODIs where he picked up 261 wickets and 15 wickets respectively.
In that confessing interview, Kaneria further explained his first meeting with Anu Bhatt and his role to introduce Westfield to Bhatt.
He said, “In 2005 on a West Indies tour, my assistant manager introduced me to Anu Bhatt, because he was a Hindu and he was a cricket fan/ Then we were on a India tour and over there, 2008 it was I think, Anu Bhatt invited the whole team for dinner, so me and my wife and other cricketers went to his house for the dinner.
“The ACU came to Pakistan and told several cricketers and me that he is a suspicious guy and is involved in doing fixing. I regret very much, I didn’t complain to the higher authorities, like English Cricket Board or ICC unit. I didn’t inform or didn’t tell them this guy is over here.”
“Mervyn used to tell me that he wants to become a rich cricketer. I was highly paid in Essex, and I was an international player at that time. And I was living a life, a very lavish life, so he also wanted to make money. I think he was targeted by Anu Bhatt and I think he fell into that temptation. Being an international cricketer and a senior cricketer, I should have taken it one step higher of telling Mervyn that this guy is suspicious.”
Talking about his earlier lie, Kaneria told that he tried to hide that wrongdoing from his proud but ill father, who lost his life in 2013 after battling against Cancer.
Kaneria said, “I didn’t have the courage to face him and tell him that I was wrong. He was a very, very proud guy. Very, very proud of me and what I did, representing Pakistan, representing my country. Now I have become strong enough to make this decision, because you cannot live a life with lies.”
Kaneria wants to ask people’s forgiveness and also has requested every cricket bodies to give him a second chance to educate and teach the young cricketers.
He said, “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 to educate young people in cricket, teach them that if you do wrong you are finished like me.
“There are people who will do temptation to you, but you have to be strong. Go to a right direction, rather going to a short cut and making money in a short cut. It will end them where I am at today.”
