Spinner Danish Kaneria wants to play to earn livelihood, PCB says ask ECB

Lahore:The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday asked banned spinner Danish Kaneria to approach the England Cricket Board (ECB), if he wants to resume playing cricket.

The leg-spinner, banned since 2012, had earlier approached the PCB to seek their permission to resume cricket activities to earn his livelihood. PCB has now responded, saying that it can't do much since the punishment was handed to him by the ECB.

''Article 6.8 of the ECB Anti-Corruption Code, which is applicable in this case, clearly states only the chair of the anti-corruption tribunal, which has imposed a period of ineligibility on a player, had the discretion to permit the player to participate," the PCB said in a statement here.

''As such, you are advised to approach the ECB as per Article 6.8 of the ECB Anti-Corruption Code,'' it added.

Kaneria is the most successful leg-spinner in the history of Pakistan Test cricket. He is the only second Hindu to play Test cricket for Pakistan and has picked 261 wickets before being banned by the ECB for life for spot-fixing in English county matches.

After denying his involvement in spot-fixing and pleading innocence, the leg-spinner finally admitted in late 2018 to a foreign television network he was guilty.

According to Kaneria, he was suffering unimaginable hardships, both professionally and personally, with each passing day.However, the PCB reminded him that since he had used all methods to appeal against the life ban, only the ECB can now review his case.

"The life ban was imposed by the ECB and upheld by all ICC Members, as per Article 9 of the ICC/PCB Anti-Corruption Code, and the only way it could have been overturned was by way of appeal, an avenue which has already been explored," it added.

Meanwhile, in a similar appeal by former Test captain Salim Malk, the Board said it won't be able to help him, unless the former co-operates. 

Malik was banned for life for match fixing by the PCB in 2000, on the recommendations of the Justice (Retd) Malik Qayyum inquiry commission, but his punishment was set aside by a lower court in 2008.

''You chose not to respond to the contents of the transcripts of a conversation that took place in April, 2000. In the backdrop of the above, the PCB will be unable to proceed any further until such time you respond on the said matter,'' the Board said told Malik.(UNI)