Pakistan’s Danish Kaneria will try to resume his cricket career when he challenges a life ban for spot-fixing in London on Monday.
But, heading into the start of the appeal hearing, doubt remained over whether Mervyn Westfield would give evidence against his former Essex team-mate.
Leg-spinner Kaneria was given a life ban by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) last year after a panel found him guilty of inducing paceman Westfield to deliberately under-perform by agreeing to concede a certain number of runs in return for money while bowling in a county one-day match in 2009.
Although imposed by the ECB, the now 32-year-old Kaneria’s ban was effectively a worldwide sanction as all boards under the jurisdiction of the International Cricket Council (ICC) have agreed to uphold punishments imposed by individual member countries in such circumstances.
It was not until 2010 that the scandal became public broke when Essex police arrested both Kaneria and Westfield. However, the Pakistani was released without charge and has maintained his innocence throughout.
By contrast, legal proceedings against Westfield continued and he spent two months in prison, as well as being banned for five years from first-class cricket and three from recreational cricket by the ECB.
There has been speculation in the British press and on the Cricinfo website, that Westfield could be offered a deal by the ECB allowing him to play club cricket as a paid professional for Wanstead, east of London, in the Essex league if he testifies at the appeal hearing.
It is understood talks between Westfield and the board have taken place in recent days but neither party has yet made any public statement on what outcome, if any, has been reached.
Westfield’s evidence was central to the punishment imposed on Kaneria and the Pakistani’s lawyers believe any failure by the seamer to give evidence at the hearing, which is being held in private, will damage the ECB’s case.
Without Westfield, Kaneria’s legal team have high hopes their client will be cleared and be able to sue the ECB for loss of earnings.
They have argued Westfield’s evidence at the orginal hearing will be inadmissible at the appeal unless he appears in person and can be cross-examined.
Kaneria hasn’t played international cricket since 2010, but remains Pakistan’s most successful Test spinner with 261 wickets in 61 matches.
“I am quite hopeful,” Kaneria told AFP.
“There was no evidence against me and I have maintained that the ban was unjust and I will fight till the last.”
Monday’s hearing comes just days after former Pakistan Test players Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif lost their appeals at the Court of Arbitration for Sport over a spot-fixing scandal.
